Have a Happy and Healthy Holiday
A Holiday Season Unlike Any Other – How to Stay Safe and Healthy
The holiday season is here, but the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t gone anywhere. It is imperative that we all do our part to keep ourselves, our families, and our communities safe while we enjoy the holidays. We know how important the holidays are to lift spirits, eat delicious food, and spend quality time with loved ones. While we hope you all can enjoy the holidays with close friends and family, unfortunately, the pandemic is raging stronger than ever. To help you plan for the holidays, Libertana has assembled a few health tips for how best to stay physically and mentally healthy this holiday season.
Outdoor Space, Masks, and Distance are your Friends
If you’re hosting a holiday gathering, have it outside if you can. If you can’t, do your best to increase ventilation by opening windows and doors. Additionally, to minimize the risk of a superspreader event, limit the number of guests. Because COVID-19 is most commonly spread through the nose and mouth, please encourage guests to avoid singing or shouting. And as always, require mask wearing and social distancing as often as possible.
If you’re attending a holiday gathering, socially distance yourself from other households at the event and avoid contact with people outside of your household for 14 days before the gathering. When you do leave your home, don’t forget your mask and hand sanitizer!
Get Creative and Stay Mindful
Don’t forget that there are plenty of creative and enjoyable ways to have virtual holiday celebrations as well. Perhaps this year you organize a virtual secret Santa with friends, plan a video chat with extended family, or have a virtual game or movie night. There is a silver lining here – this year presents a great opportunity to celebrate virtually with friends and family you don’t often see during the holidays.
Holiday cooking mishaps won’t be the only thing you’re cleaning this year. Remember that sanitizing commonly touched surfaces and shared items remains important, and frequent handwashing is great for slowing the spread of COVID-19. Now is also a good time to upgrade to a touchless garbage can if possible – there’s a gift idea!
Mental Health is Paramount
These are certainly unprecedented times for all of us – the pandemic has been incredibly mentally taxing on our community’s collective mental health. And as the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, it’s important to prioritize your mental well-being. Even if life has slowed and you don’t have as many places to go, be sure to keep a routine and continue safe hobbies. Despite the necessary physical distance from loved ones, try to keep in contact with friends and family via text, phone, or video chat. And even though technology is great for keeping us connected, constant social media scrolling and news consumption can be harmful. Instead, pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read or delve into a challenging jigsaw puzzle to stay mentally sharp.
We’ll Get Through this Together
While this holiday season is different from any other we have ever experienced, we’re confident that if we take the necessary precautions, we can all have meaningful, connected, and safe holiday celebrations. With two new vaccines potentially on the way, the future is looking bright. Let’s all do our part in getting there safely. Happy Holidays!
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