Due to some unforseen circumstances, that we will speak about in a future check in we are republishing one of our Holiday survival guides.

This week we start off with Edward relaying a particularly good week of some much-needed self-care. After spending a day off out of town with a friend, He talks about spending time with his sister, going to see a movie for the first time since the pandemic started, and a search for Indian food.

As we have now entered the Holiday season it is again time to remind ourselves that setting boundaries is necessary and saying no is acceptable. Since the pandemic started, we have found many people have realized that spending time with family can be quite toxic. Sometimes when we do things out of habit for so long, we forget, or do not realize how bad a situation is. This year we feel the increase in expectation due to long absences. Last year recorded an episode with a toolbox of coping skills and a survival guide. This year we touch on some tools that we have used and a couple new ones that we have learned. Mostly it is about permission we give ourselves to be absence from abusive and toxic gatherings.