Keep your boundaries

As we approach this year’s holiday season and year end celebrations, I want to remind you of something very important yet not very groundbreaking, at all:

YOU HAVE A CHOICE TO SET AND KEEP BOUNDARIES THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!!!

Show up or not?

As families make plans to get together, you get to choose what you will or will not participate in. You get to decide that you do not want to go to an indoor gathering with family because some of them are not vaccinated. You get to choose to go to a party and keep a mask on even if others are not. You get to choose to zoom into a gathering instead of showing up in person. You get to choose to travel to see family, invite family to your home or to stay home.

Consume or not? Imbibe or not?

You get to choose to not eat the meal that is being served at a family party because it does not line up with your dietary needs. You get to say “no” or “yes” to that extra piece of pie. Deciding to cut back on alcohol or be alcohol free? You get to decide to rock that mocktail and be the designated driver.

Engage or not?

You get to decide whether you enter the political conversation with that cousin that has very different views from you. You get to decide to have a heated disagreement about the economy or not. You have the option of setting a “no politics or religion” rule at your family table or decide that nothing is off the table. You decide what boundary you want for controversial topics and then keep them.

Gifts? Cards? Donations?

You get to decide if you want to buy and send gifts to others, send holiday cards or donate to charities in lieu of gifts. It is your hard earned money and just because it is a family tradition to spend 2 months of paychecks on the holidays, you don’t have to follow suit. Or you can- you choose.

I encourage you to set boundaries for yourself and then keep them to give yourself a chance to enjoy this holiday season!

You got this. Keep going. Your future self will thank you.