So I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone when I say that there is always a lot of holiday stress…..my business is usually booming between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Normally, I talk about those two holidays together as “the holiday season” but with the craziness of life right now…I am going to focus on just Thanksgiving. (Don’t worry, I’ll do another blog post about Christmas!)
Alright so here’s what I know:
- Thanksgiving is happening
- COVID-19 cases are on the rise and most states have a mandate saying no family gatherings over 10 people
- People have very different views on COVID-19 mandates
- The presidential election is over…but not really because people are still debating who won
- People have very different views on the election
Alright…..from what I know, listed above…this sounds like a recipe for disaster. Like seriously. I’m concerned about all of our mental health during the holidays. Anyone else? Buttt as I mentioned Thanksgiving is still happening in whatever form it may be in and family is important, ya know especially when we’re supposed to get together and all be thankful for each other. So I have compiled a list of tips and tricks to make it through Thanksgiving and maybe even have a little fun!
- Don’t talk politics. Just don’t do it. I say this every year and people still do it. I don’t know why. Don’t talk politics. If people start talking politics around you, BITE YOUR TONGUE. Just smile and nod and comment on how tasty the stuffing is. Seriously. You are not going to change your family’s opinion and they aren’t going to change yours.
- Don’t talk opinions on COVID. See above for how to not talk about it when someone else is trying to talk about it. But really, no one has any clue what they’re doing with COVID so unless you happen to have genius infectious disease doctors in your family, don’t talk COVID. Actually, even if you do have genius infectious disease doctors, they’re probably so sick of COVID they just want to eat their turkey in peace. Talking about it is literally only going to stress you and other people out. Just don’t do it.
- You may be thinking “Oh I need wine to deal with my mother (or insert whatever family member)”. Drinking is not going to help. It’s really not. So enjoy your wine, enjoy a beer, or whatever cocktail of choice…but overindulging is just going to make you hungover and embarrassed the next day. We’re trying to get through the holidays peacefully, we don’t want to have to call our grandma and apologize the next morning.
- No one. I repeat no one is at their best right now. Hopefully you and the people in your family are making the best of things and still able to enjoy some time off together. But NO ONE is at their happiest, “living their best lives” self right now. So when your mom starts crying in the gravy, yeah it’s annoying, but give her a break, it’s been rough for all of us.
- Okay this is mostly a list of what not to do. But, you can still: be thankful for family, enjoy spending time with these people you’re related to, enjoy having a day (or a few) off of work, and maybe, just maybe forget about everything going on in the world for a little while.
Don’t worry, we’ll get through this holiday stress together. I promise. This is just the beginning, but I’ll have more tips and tricks for Christmas, so stay tuned! Follow me on Instagram for reminders throughout the holiday season and check out the Okay-ish Podcast for more helpful information on how to manage this shit show we’re in right now!