4 Tips For Navigating Thanksgiving and COVID-19

I lived in New York City for the entirety of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I have to say: saying the initial few months were rough is an understatement. If you weren't an essential worker (big thanks to all of you out there), you sheltered in place. We didn't go outside for anything other than groceries, the pharmacy, and the occasional socially-distanced walk or run. And, given the massive surge last winter, many of us missed traveling for the holidays with our families.

It was stressful! And while today, we live in a world where COVID is ever-present, we are encouraged to approach life in this new normal, and that's a whole different kind of stress.

Now it's the holidays again and there are tough decisions to make. Mainly: should I stay, or should I go?

You might be asking yourself: do I want to face a potentially angry mask-less passenger on a plane and my uncle with undiagnosed and untreated alcoholism? Or maybe you're thinking: how do I go through another holiday flying solo? No matter your situation, I'm here with four tips to help you through this holiday season in the new normal.

1. Accurately assess your level of COVID comfort

This is something that I have consistently asked my patients to consider throughout this entire pandemic. You can rate this on a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 being "I haven’t left my apartment since March 2020" and 10 being "I routinely go to large underground parties with no windows, no light, and no vaccine requirements."

Depending on where you fall, list out the activities that you think feel safe. For instance, I’m pretty moderate. I am fully vaccinated, and I don’t wear a mask when I’m outside in the park for my run, but I do wear a mask indoors when I’m shopping. I have yet to go on a plane since the pandemic, but I am considering it as there are friends and family that I'd like to visit next year. Music festivals and other large-scale events are still a no-go for me.

Whatever your comfort zone, don’t judge it. It’s important to be honest in this assessment.

When I think about my comfort zone, I consider my mental and physical health, as well as public safety. I’m not a zero on the scale because being totally isolated at this point in the pandemic doesn’t appear to be justified given that I don’t have an underlying medical condition that would expose me to increased risk. Plus, I’m fully vaccinated and follow masking guidelines. However, I’m not a 10 because with the new variants it seems like too much risk for too little reward. But that’s just my assessment for me! You need to think about what's important to you, and how comfortable you feel.

2. Cope ahead

Whether you're preparing for travel or preparing to be home alone, you want to cope ahead. Think about the potential challenges and explore what...

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