How to set healthy holiday boundaries

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">          OOOOOOOOO baby, the holiday season is a wild one in my family and friends groups and setting boundaries ain’t always easy. This year is extra weird because Covid and everyone’s different comfort levels with the new visiting rules. So what do we doooo??  Asking for what you need and expressing freely around this time can get mucky and emotional and I want you to be able to feel ease and flow instead. These times bring more dinners, get-togethers, gift exchanges and by the end, I usually feel more exhausted than nourished from all the interaction. This is a no go. We get overwhelmed because of all the expectations that are put on us by everyone else, last year I didn’t even get to spend time with my partner and build our own traditions and I hated that. Where do we draw the line with the people we love? How do we share what we need without making them feel less than? And how do we begin to do all of this around the holidays when everything is moving a little quicker and the energy is more electric? No worries, we are going to dive into how to begin to set boundaries you feel good in without hurting those around you. Here we goooooo! </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">          When I began to have those harder adult conversations with my family, I felt anxious and a pit would form in my tummy. I didn’t know how to tell my family no but continued to do things I didn’t enjoy which left me feeling crappy. I would feel frustrated at the events, I would have emotional break downs for one reason or another or drink till I couldn’t see to not have to actually be present with my family. At the time, I didn’t understand that was happening but I now know I was denying my emotional needs for the needs of those around me. This is step number one. Begin to explore what parts of the holidays are not fitting into your desired lifestyle anymore and why. A friend of mine just did this and realized it was her alcoholic dad that she couldn’t be around. Every time she was in a s