Image of NYC Psychotherapists discussing the mental health effects of the holiday season on our psychotherapy podcast. Image reads "BeREAL The Podcast Episode 40: Setting the boundaries: holidays, family, friends and more."

Ep 040 – Setting Boundaries: Holidays, Family, Friends and More

BeREAL, podcast

Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha speak with each other (no special guest today) about the mental health effects of the holiday season. They discuss how to set appropriate boundaries and how to craft traditions that suit your own needs.

Image of NYC Psychotherapists discussing the mental health effects of the holiday season on our psychotherapy podcast. Image reads "BeREAL The Podcast Episode 40: Setting the boundaries: holidays, family, friends and more."

Ednesha begins the episode by telling Diana about her Thanksgiving holiday. She discusses how she went to Florida with her family in an attempt to save some traditions this year, as many have been cancelled due to COVID. She highlights the importance of taking all necessary precautions when traveling and visiting family during this time, and how you should handle family members who are less willing to take COVID tests. Diana joins in on the conversation, and the two talk about the food they cooked and the foods they avoided during their Thanksgiving feasts.

 

Diana and Ednesha then tackle the discussion of how to set boundaries during the COVID holiday season. These boundaries have to be set between both friends and family. Ednesha discusses how hard it can be to set non-negotiable boundaries with loved ones, such as making it necessary that all guests take COVID tests. Many people might fear saying “no” to family who want to visit, but also fear saying “yes” that people can come without taking the necessary precautions. Ednesha highlights that this only worsens when people think of the worst possible outcomes of each option, which many people tend to do. This leads the hosts to shift the conversation only a little to a discussion of when it is right for people to say “no” and when it is right for them to say “yes”. Saying “no” can be good for your mental health at times. However, saying it too much can lead to people missing out on needed social interaction which can have grave impacts on mental health. Because of this, saying “yes” can take just as much courage as saying “no” at times. 

 

Diana brings the discussion to anxiety and other mental health effects of the holiday season. Ednesha brings up the idea that it can make people anxious when they are unsure if someone will say something triggering to them during big gatherings. Ednesha suggests people to reach out to family before thesengatherings to make it clear what is and what isn’t appropriate to talk about. This way, people can enjoy their holiday festivities without being on edge that someone could say something harmful at any moment. 

 

Diana and Ednesha finish off the episode by giving the listeners some last advice to take with them into the 2020 holiday season. Diana challenges people who say “no” often to try saying yes. Vice versa, she advises the people who say “yes” a lot to try saying “no”. Ednesha tells listeners to take advantage of the strange circumstances this year to craft holiday traditions that are best suited for their own mental health needs.

 

Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for an all new episode next week. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode with Darren Carter and John Palau on fatherhood and mental health.

 

For more information on BeREAL (our psychotherapy podcast) and BeWELL (our mental health care in Manhattan) visit the links below:

 

To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today 

 

www.beher-now.com 

 

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