How to Set Healthy Boundaries for the Holidays
Creating this holiday tradition can help you in this season and many more to come. Calculate a realistic holiday budget based on your monthly income, shopping fund (if you have one) and how much you expect to spend on other expenses during the holiday shopping period. Then, think about how many people you plan to shop for and set a per-person spending limit. Practicing compassion, awareness, and other mindfulness skills on a daily basis can change the way you react and respond to the stressors in your life, now and all year long. Along with openly discussing plans and expectations, it’s also important to leave room for any feelings that may come up for you and your family. Feelings of disappointment, sadness, anger and other emotions need to be acknowledged so you can all process and accept whatever changes are heading your way for the holidays.
Ways to Make Recovery a Priority During the Holidays
You might find a balance this year between reducing your problems and reducing your distress. That may mean a combination of attending fewer events, setting helpful boundaries, and reaching for healthy coping skills. When it comes to time management, don’t worry about tomorrow, and don’t worry about yesterday.
How Many People Are in Recovery?
- In fact, married individuals often report uncertainty about how to balance time between their family of origin and family-in-law, especially when it comes to holiday celebrations1.
- Below are nine keys to being more resilient during the holidays.
- Even the weather—rainy, cloudy, cold days that turn dark too early—can literally put a damper on your life.
- Getting enough exercise, healthy food, and sleep is essential to good mental health.
- Recovery is a ‘one day at a time’ endeavor that requires constant effort.
As you craft your shopping list, knowing which products are more likely to go on sale can also help you save money. Pooling resources with family or friends can ease the financial burden on everyone and ensure the recipient still gets a gift. If you feel like your budget won’t stretch very far, you might be considering taking on debt to pay for gifts. Putting money in a special savings account or envelope just for holiday expenses reduces the risk of going into debt. Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take certain actions on our website or click to take an action on their website. Here is a list of our partners and here’s how we make money.
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The abundance of indulgent feasts, tempting treats, and busy schedules can pose challenges to our well-established routines. As you begin to string together your holiday wishes, you may notice that support can be helpful in the process. Like any other time of the year, a key tactic to scaffold reframing holidays in early recovery a sturdy boundary is to consider what you need to make that boundary successful.
Leave Time for Unstructured Recharging
- While the holiday season can be filled with joy and wonderful moments with family and friends, for many it often also brings unwanted guests — stress and anxiety.
- If this is something you are struggling with, it can be helpful to set smaller or short-term goals leading up to a larger or long-term goal.
- Even though we’re about to enter the happiest and most celebrated time of the year, it can also bring out heightened emotions in both adults and children.
With a little planning and some positive thinking, you can find enjoyment during the holidays. On this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast, I share the biggest concerns our listeners have about the holidays this year and the top 10 things you can do to stay mentally strong this holiday season. They create a lot of stress, including financial strain, for many people. Sprinkle in some family tension, grief, and end-of-the-year deadlines, and it’s a recipe for higher rates of distress. You don’t have to agree to every invitation or request that comes your way during the holidays.
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. Over 11 percent of U.S. adults (29.2 million) report that they have ever had a problem with substances (SAMHSA, 2021). Thus, in addition to those in recovery, it is likely that most Americans know someone who struggles with their use of alcohol or other drugs.
Be Mindful
When participating in rituals on your spouse’s priority list, be open-minded and embrace the moments that mean something to them. This is a way to connect and understand both your spouse and their family. Approaching different perspectives with open-mindedness can also help you navigate the emotions and reactions of kids as they continue to process and accept all of the change happening around them.
For example, say you set a $50 limit for your nephew and find him a great gift that’s only $30. These varied and pronounced emotional experiences, coupled with the change in daily routines and plethora of holiday parties, may pose challenges to those in recovery from addiction. However, we can make intentional decisions to support our community members in recovery as we navigate the holiday season.
Coping with Grief: Five Tips for Navigating the Holiday Season
They probably just want the ‘old you’ back who used to party with them. This is why having a support network to help you with boundaries is crucial. During the holiday season, you may find yourself surrounded by an overwhelming number of decorations. This kind of celebration, however, is not a requirement for your own space.
Pay Off Debt: Strategies and Tips
What are the most meaningful aspects of the holidays for you? Is it spending time with immediate family, reconnecting with old friends, or quiet time alone? Understanding your priorities will guide you in setting boundaries that align with what you find important. If you’re spending time with folks who are generally supportive, let them know of your baseline well being goals. For example “Hey mom/dad/sister/husband, I find that I’m able to show up for our family stuff in the best way when I baseline goal category.