Navigating holiday pressures in the COVID-19 reality

Here's how to cope with invitations, gatherings, and sad feelings.

Holiday pressures are always challenging, and maybe more so this year. Risks of COVID-19 exposure may have you worried about attending indoor gatherings and sharing a meal or hug with loved ones. How can you deal with the pressure of deciding whether to accept or decline an invitation, and how do you cope with changes this holiday may bring?

For advice, we turned to two faculty members from Harvard Medical School's Department of Psychiatry, David Topor and Patricia Bamonti. Both are clinical psychologists with the VA Boston Healthcare System.