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Writer's picturemooxli
Dec 12 min read

Holiday Survival Guide for nurses: Boundaries, joy, and perspective



Hello Darling,

The holiday season is upon us, and we are all about to work through navigating the wilds of the holiday experience specific to our own lives, so, I wanted to give you some down and dirty reminders to support whatever your reality is.

~ Sarah

1. Boundaries: The Ultimate Form of Self-Care

  • It’s OK to ask for what you need.

  • "No" is a complete sentence.

  • Sometimes, the best thing you can do is to let things fall apart.

  • Boundaries are about what you will and won’t do, and what is and isn’t OK.

  • Boundaries are not about controlling what others will or won’t do.

2. Managing Work and life commitments During the Holidays

  • You are responsible for fulfilling the work hours/holiday coverage you agreed to when you accepted your job. Beyond those hours, staffing is the hospital's responsibility.

  • There is always a dollar amount that can solve any staffing issue. Hospital administration is in charge of those dollars.

3. Rethinking Family and Holiday Gatherings

  • Being related by blood does not give someone free reign over your life.

  • You are not obligated to spend the holiday with someone just because they’re family.

  • You have the right to choose who you spend your time with.

  • Others don’t get to decide for you who you should, or should not, spend your time with.

5. Embracing the Complexity of the Holidays

  • You don’t have to feel a certain way just because it’s a national holiday.

  • You don’t have to do anything specific just because it’s the holiday season.

  • If you love celebrating and it brings you joy, that’s wonderful!

  • If the holidays are painful for you and you’d rather not celebrate, that’s OK too.

  • If you feel like you want to celebrate AND there will be some painful moments--it can be both, Darling.

Remember:​Whatever you are—or aren’t—doing this holiday season, remember to Move, Oxygenate, and Live, along the way!

​


P.S. If you'd love to set healthier boundaries but don't know how, if you think letting things fall apart is a disastrous idea, or if you think asking for what you need sounds lovely, and also mostly impossible...head over to the MOOXLI resource list and find the books: Set Boundaries Find Peace, When Things Fall Apart, and Needy. ​

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