How To Spend Christmas In These Times Of Pandemic: Psychological Advice
It is clear that the coronavirus pandemic has substantially changed our lifestyle in all aspects, and family celebrations have not been left out of this phenomenon.
Although many people would like to celebrate Christmas normally with their loved ones, this will not be possible due to the new safety measures we must take to ensure the health and well-being of everyone.
To make it easier to adapt to this period of celebrations in millions of homes, here we will review several essential keys to spend Christmas as a family from correct management of emotions in times of COVID-19
How to spend Christmas in times of COVID-19, from good emotional management
To spend the Christmas holidays in the best possible way (from an emotional point of view), follow these guidelines.
1. Don’t always talk about the same topic
Christmas is above all a period of celebration, so it is advisable not to only talk about issues related to the virus, to being able to express a greater diversity of emotions and enrich the communicative experience Remaining stuck in the monotheme that dominates all the news is not only not stimulating, but it feeds unfounded fears.
They also have their own opinions and feelings and may need to take advantage of situations like these to receive support from family members.
3. Give yourself more time to plan
We must not forget that the appearance of the pandemic is a source of stress. For this reason, and taking into account that Preparing for the Christmas holidays (and the shopping that goes with it) is stressful enough on this occasion it is best to give yourself more time to prepare everything.
4. Take advantage of the potential of the video call
Until relatively recently it would have been unthinkable, but today it is possible to have “virtual meetings” in which groups of people participate on each side of the screen. It doesn’t have to last the entire Christmas dinner, but a video conference session in which two households are connected by audio and video, It can be a very good way to break isolation while minimizing the risk of contagion.and it can even be a fun experience.
5. Relieve the collective pressure to buy gifts
In times of both health and economic crisis, it is advisable not to feed dynamics that lead to spending money for the sake of spending money. That’s why, It is recommended that you propose not buying gifts, or postponing them for another month in which expenses do not accumulate. Making this explicit will make it not an individual decision but a collective one, so that people with a more precarious economy can benefit from this.
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To prevent risks of contagion…
Now that we have seen various tips regarding the management of emotions, let’s move on to the material level. These are the most important tips for spend Christmas during a pandemic period minimizing the risk of contagion
1. Ventilation, masks and low conversation volume
An MIT study concludes that these three variables are crucial when it comes to minimizing contact between people: room ventilation, the use of masks by diners, and speaking at a low volume to avoid expelling the smallest amount of droplets. of saliva during eating.
To achieve a high level of constant ventilation, the windows should be left open for as long as possible or, if this is not possible, it is recommended to ventilate the rooms for about 15 minutes every hour.
The use of masks should also be constant while not at the table eating or drinking, covering the nose and mouth When not in use, it is advisable to store the mask in a paper or plastic envelope to avoid contaminating it.
2. Small groups
This year, all families must make an effort not to gather more than 10 people in their homes, 6 or less in some autonomous communities, in order to flatten the curve of coronavirus infections in the country.
Another recommendation that experts agree on is to establish bubble groups during all the days of celebration, that is, avoid meeting many people from different family units
Likewise, it is advisable if we have to see different people is to meet more often but with small groups of people, to avoid gathering many people in one house.
3. Remember hygiene measures
Hygiene measures are another of the keys that we must keep in mind at all times to spend a safe and responsible Christmas.
Washing hands and applying hydroalcoholic gel have already become a common procedure and everyday in our lives, and this Christmas we must put it into practice even more, if possible.
Likewise, some hygiene measures are also recommended that we must take into account this Christmas, either during meals or at social gatherings of all kinds, which are, first of all, removing dishes and food from the table for share, whether hors d’oeuvres or group appetizers.
In addition to that, it is also recommended that only one person sets the table, that only one person serves the food on each plate and that only one individual clears the table to avoid infections as much as possible.
4. Short meals better than dinners
Short meals have become the best option this Christmas, in order to avoid dinners that last until late and can lead to nights out.
The duration of the meal should be short to avoid infections and exposure to possible infected people as much as possible
5. Cancel in-person meetings whenever there is a risk of contagion
At the first symptom of coronavirus infection or having been in contact with someone infected, gatherings for your own family group must be canceled and the pertinent medical measures taken.
All families are looking forward to getting together during these holidays, but we must remember that more important than celebrating Christmas 2020 is celebrating next year’s together.
