‘Setting boundaries’: Dealing with stress around the holiday season
Global News
Experts say the Christmas season is not a time for competition and holiday stress but a time for celebration with friends and family.
We’re now only a month away from Christmas which means, for some, a time to stress over having to have a perfect holiday season. Experts say the season is not a time for competition but a time for celebration with friends and family.
Family dynamics around this time of year, though, can be a point of stress.
“Understanding boundaries and setting those boundaries. Also looking at triggers there might be within the family and trying to preplan to avoid those triggers and then having escape plans,” said psychologist Dr. Delaine Shackleton with the Kelowna Psychologists Group.
With rising prices and inflation, financial pressure is proving to be one of the biggest stressors of this Christmas season.
“I think people compare themselves to other families and the big thing there is to just not compare, to try and focus on yourselves, getting the basics in line and making sure that you’re reaching out for support as needed,” Shackleton said.
“People feel a lot of pressure and they feel like they need to be the provider that they want to be. They feel like they have to admit defeat if they can’t be what they had an idea of being.”
Kelowna’s Mamas for Mamas has seen a huge jump in people accessing their services this year and this holiday season isn’t any different.
The organization will be providing Christmas hampers to families, doing their best to help alleviate the pressure of the holidays.
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