protecting your peace over the holidays

The most “wonderful time of the year” can also be one of the most stressful times of the year, with family gatherings, holiday parties, travel, and busy schedules. We often find clients feel overwhelmed and neglect their own self-care when they’re constantly on the go. Setting boundaries is an important way to protect your energy and peace while enjoying the holiday season.

When you set and uphold your boundaries, you are sending a message to yourself that your time, energy, and feelings are valuable and should be respected. Communicating your boundaries to others also helps you foster meaningful, mutually fulfilling relationships with the people around you. Nurturing the relationship you have with yourself and others will help you discover more joy, peace, and connection during the holiday season.

Here are a few of our favorite tips on boundary setting.

Identify your needs. Get clear on what will allow you to feel comfortable and safe during the holidays. This might include avoiding certain topics of conversation or even taking a break from socializing to recharge. We find that people often feel pressured to attend all of the holiday parties and ensure they are seeing as many people as possible on a visit back to their hometown. This could be completely draining, so it’s important to know what your limits are and remember it’s okay to say no. The most important person you have to show up for is yourself.

Establish expectations in advance. Setting boundaries can be difficult, especially when it comes to family members who may not understand or respect your needs. But opening the lines of communication around boundaries can enable everyone to feel comfortable and have clear expectations for being together. Once you’ve identified your needs, communicate them to your loved ones. For example, if you book a flight to leave or arrive a day later than expected, you can let any family who is hosting you know in advance. Whenever you feel like your boundaries aren’t being respected by others, just remember to hold firm in your needs, even if at times that means removing yourself from the situation. This could help them re-establish their own expectations about your time together.

Prioritize self-care during the holidays. Making self-care a priority can also help you manage stress and stick to the boundaries you’ve set. By protecting your energy, you can maintain balance and peace of mind, which may help you feel more capable of handling potential challenges you may encounter.

If you need to take a break from socializing, try to include that in your holiday plans too. Also, consider adding your usual self-care routine into your plans first before creating a schedule jam-packed with other items. You can block off time in your calendar, or add buffer time between events, to create space for you to protect and nurture your needs.

By understanding your needs, communicating them, and setting clear boundaries, you can enjoy the holiday season in a way that feels comfortable and authentic to you.

Have a happy holiday season!

therapy services we offer in manhattan

We understand that navigating, work, friendships, family, dating, and life as a young professional in Manhattan can come with many emotions and feelings behind it. This is why our Manhattan therapists offer a range of counseling services. The mental health services we offer are Depression Therapy, Anxiety Therapy, Individual Therapy, and Therapy for Self-Esteem. As well as Therapy for Women, Therapy for College Students, Maternal Mental Health Care, and more.

Are you feeling like you’re not living the life you want and need to make changes? Let’s talk about it.

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