How to Celebrate the Holidays Safely During the COVID-19 Pandemic [Video]

How to Celebrate the Holidays Safely During the COVID-19 Pandemic [Transcript]

As we enter into the holiday season, we must be mindful of our safety and the safety of others. In order to be mindful of this, we have to think about the things that we have been advised to do to protect ourselves from being exposed to COVID-19. This includes wearing a mask, washing your hands, and using hand sanitizers. These are all things that can help us stay safe. That said, how do we interact with our loved ones in closed settings during this time? Here are some tips on how to celebrate the holidays safely during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Acknowledge the reality

First, recognize that the holiday season is always stressful. When we add in the pandemic, that’s double the stress. The holidays are going to be a little more intense this year, so let’s prepare ourselves for that. In doing so, we can acknowledge the fact that this year will be different, that this will be a challenge, and that we haven’t done this before.

Watch: Handling Holiday Stress

Allow your emotions

Allow yourself the space and time for the emotions that come up. Naming what you are feeling is important. If you are feeling anxious, give yourself permission to feel that anxiety. What is the anxiety telling you? What is it making you feel? What is it making you think? Allow yourself to sit with those emotions for a moment. Do some deep breathing and perhaps take a walk, get some fresh air, drink some water. Whatever you do, don’t push the emotions away. Understand what you are feeling so that you can cope better.

Recognize what’s different

Accepting that this holiday season will be different due to COVID-19 can be helpful. This can include recognizing that there are many people suffering from unemployment, many people have lost loved ones, and some people are finding it very difficult to manage their mental health. Keeping these things in mind can help you guide your holiday.

For example, unemployment means that finances will be tight, so plan accordingly. Maybe don’t do as big of a thing for the holidays as you normally do. This could include avoiding travel and staying home to have a holiday celebration with those in your household.

Dealing with the death of a loved one is never easy. Trying to manage the anxiety, grief, and everything else associated with that loss can be extremely difficult. If this is the case, be sure to talk with a friend or partner, or seek professional help if you need it. 

With so many people’s mental health being impacted by the pandemic, it is very important that you do not take your symptoms lightly. If you are having a hard time managing your emotions, please reach out for help.

Read more: What is Radical Acceptance

Evaluate the risk

Another tip is to evaluate the level of risk you are willing to take this holiday season. If you will be traveling to a specific area, it would be helpful to understand the state of COVID cases in that area. It is also okay to ask who will be attending events. So if somebody invites you to a holiday gathering, feel free to ask the host who is on the guest list, how many people will be there, and what precautions are being taken. Usually, finding out this information can let you assess if you will feel safe enough to be in the company of those people. Sometimes we know people who are engaging in risky behavior and we want to keep ourselves distant from them. That is okay and a completely normal thing to be concerned about during a time like this. This is a pandemic and these questions are valid.

Limit gatherings

Keep in mind that the CDC has suggested that household gatherings limited to the members who live in your house is the best way to go through the holiday season. They say this is low risk and there is less of a chance of the virus being spread. If you have people come into your home, that can increase your chances of infection. So, evaluate the risk. Will you feel safe having people coming into your home or will you feel safer celebrating with the people already there?

If you do decide to gather with people outside of your household, there are ways you can practice safety as well.

Get tested

First, get tested. Getting tested is important. It is important to know if you have been exposed, if you have the virus in your body, or if you have the antibodies. If you care about the people you will be around, it is important to get tested before attending any social gathering. 

COVID-informed hosting

If you are hosting an event, scatter your guests about. So, perhaps you invite people from 1 to 3:30pm, and then invite another group of people from 4:30 to 7pm. And, in between, you can clean up, tidy the place, and freshen the space, just to keep everyone feeling safe and comfortable. Splitting your guests up can help reduce the number of people in your house at one time.

Keep your space clean. This also means keeping the space well-ventilated, which may mean opening the windows, doors, or using an air purifier to keep the air in the unit safe.

The last thing, of course, is to not forget to spread those chairs around. Keep everyone six feet apart. This is important.

If you are a guest

My last tip is to visit family or friends with safety, joy, and respect. One way you can do this is to be a good guest: arrive on time, wear a face mask, wash your hands, maintain social distance, bring your own hand sanitizer, and maybe pack a few extra disposable masks. It would be helpful.

I know it is very unfortunate that we have to go through all of these things in order for us to have safe holiday celebrations during COVID-19. But, it is necessary to take these precautions so that we can be safe and our loved ones can be safe. These are just my suggestions. You will do what you want of course, but try to keep yourself and your family safe.

How do you plan on having safe holiday celebrations during COVID-19? Join the conversation in the comments below!