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The Holidays Don’t Have To Be As Stressful ...
November 9, 2021
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We try and make the holidays as perfect as possible for family and friends. And that increases the potential for more stress. I think it’s always good to remind ourselves of a few things --it's especially important since we’re dealing with our second COVID holiday season. Things are much better than they were this time last year, but we still have a ways to go.
CDC 2021 Holiday Guideline Tips ...
- The best way to minimize COVID-19 risk and keep family and friends safe is to get vaccinated if you’re eligible.
- Protect those not yet eligible for vaccination, such as young children, by getting yourself and other eligible people around them vaccinated.
- Celebrating outdoors is safer than indoors and avoid crowded poorly ventilated spaces.
- If you’re planning to spend time indoors with people outside of your household, masks are encouraged.
- Even those fully vaccinated should wear a mask in public indoor settings in communities with substantial to high transmission.
- You should wear a mask regardless of the level of transmission if a member of your household has a weakened immune system or is unvaccinated. Children under two years old, however, should not wear face masks.
- If traveling and not fully vaccinated, get tested before your trip, wear a mask, distance as much as possible from people outside of your household, and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer.
- When arriving at a destination after traveling, you should get a COVID-19 test as soon as possible and self-quarantine for at least a full week, even if your test is negative.
- If you are sick or have COVID-like symptoms, don’t host or attend any gathering. The best way to make you don't have COVID, is to check.
- Get tested if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have close contact with someone who has COVID-19.
For all CDC Holiday suggestions click here
Tips On How To Handle Holiday Stress ...
- Breathe - Breathing is underrated as a way of calming yourself. You don't have to wait for a stressful situation to do it. Make it a point to sometimes just close your eyes, then take deep breaths in and slowly exhale. Do this several times. (Psychology Today).
- The Safe Zone - Don't bug people if they don't seem to be in the holiday spirit.
- Be nice, if someone is talking to you about one of their holiday traditions, be respectful and listen --even if you couldn’t care less.
- Stay calm. During the holiday season, a crisis can blow out of proportion. Don’t rise to the level of anxieties of others. Your calm could keep everyone focused on solving problems in a timely fashion.
- Acknowledge your feelings if someone close to you has recently died or you can't be with loved ones.
- Reach out if you feel lonely or isolated. Pick up the phone, Skype or Zoom with family and friends.
- Try to be more understanding if others get upset or seem out of sorts.
- Get professional help if you find yourself feeling continuously sad, anxious, unable to sleep, irritable, or feeling hopeless. It might be a good idea to talk to a doctor or a mental health professional.
Get A Grip ...
Don’t turn your holidays into a continuous weekday cycle of “Blue Mondays.” If you find yourself feeling out of sorts during Thanksgiving and the holidays, revisit both lists for a "Heads up." -
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