Episode 44: Healthy Holiday Boundaries in Grief

“Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’” - Matthew 5:37

Keywords:

holiday boundaries, self-care, emotional health, family support, grief during holidays, healthy boundaries, coping with loss, remembrance, emotional well-being

Summary: 

In this episode, Elizabeth, Anna, and Brittany discuss the challenges of navigating grief during the holiday season and the importance of setting healthy boundaries. They emphasize the need for self-care, the significance of honoring one's grief, and practical tips for creating boundaries that support emotional well-being. The conversation includes scriptural insights and personal anecdotes, providing listeners with tools to cope with loss while maintaining connections with family and traditions.

Takeaways:

  • Grief can feel heavier during the holiday season.

  • Setting boundaries is essential for self-care.

  • Healthy boundaries allow for personal freedom and emotional safety.

  • It's okay to skip traditions that feel overwhelming.

  • Communicating boundaries in advance can preserve relationships.

  • Rest is a vital part of emotional health.

  • You don't have to earn the right to rest.

  • Honoring your grief is important during the holidays.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are you most afraid of or concerned about as the holidays approach?  How can you plan ahead to make space for that concern and try to bring comfort in that area?

  2. What boundaries would help the holidays be as peaceful as possible? How can you prioritize caring for yourself and your grief instead of trying to make others feel better? (Remember, self-care is not selfish.)

Elizabeth Leon

Elizabeth Leon is the Director of Family Support for Red Bird Ministries. She and her husband Ralph are from Ashburn, Virginia and have ten children between them - five of hers, four of his, and their son, John Paul Raphael who died on January 5, 2018. His short and shining life was a sacred experience that transformed her heart and left a message of love for the world: let yourself be loved. She writes about finding the Lord in the darkness of grief in her book Let Yourself Be Loved: Big Lessons from a Little Life, available wherever books are sold. Read more from Elizabeth at www.letyourselfbeloved.com.

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Episode 45: The Audacious Hope of Advent

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Episode 43: The Health Impact of Grief