Small Life Update + Setting Boundaries This Holiday Season

It’s Been a Minute!

Hi, everyone! I know it’s been a few weeks since my last blog post, so I wanted to provide y’all with an update on my new job and everything else that’s been going on! I truly, truly cannot believe it’s already December and that we’re almost done with 2025. So many big changes have happened this year and I’m really looking forward to a boring 2026. I NEED it to be less chaotic than this year was, because man…I’ve been through a lot!

How my New Job is Going

To start off this post, I’m going to update y’all on my a new job and how it’s been going! I really, really like it so far. I have great co-workers, the library I’m working at offers some really fun things for the community, and every day I get to do something different. I feel like I’m directly helping people and it’s way more fulfilling than anything I ever did at my old job. I also am basically at IT person because I’m helping people print off documents, and I learned how to use a fax machine for the very first time. I’m learning so much and it’s so rewarding.

This new job has also helped me figure out that I officially want to go back to school, which is something I NEVER considered doing until I went on my self-discovery journey during unemployment. I’ve been researching different schools that offer online MLIS (Master of Library and Information Science) degrees and I think I’ve found one that offers what I’m looking for and reasonable tuition costs (because we can’t be like a European country and offer higher education for little/no cost - thanks, United States)! I’m not quite sure yet if I want to be a public librarian, but there are many different avenues I could take once I start my degree. I could be an academic librarian, a school librarian, a medical librarian, a music librarian, or work in an archives department at a special library or museum! It’s gotten me so excited about what all I could do with this degree, and the idea of more schooling has never been appealing until now. I’m actually EXCITED about going to work and there’s no feeling of dread in my stomach like there used to be. It’s very, very freeing. I used to call BS when people said that they loved their jobs because I thought that wasn’t possible. Now I’m realizing that what I was doing for work wasn’t meant for me, and I understand that loving your job isn’t a make-believe, unrealistic ideal - it’s a very real possibility.

Setting Boundaries During the Holidays

Now onto today’s topic - setting boundaries during this time of year. For a lot people, the holiday season is whimsical, joyous time of year that’s all about spending time with family and appreciating what you have in your life. But that’s not the case for everyone, and when you’re young and in your 20s navigating your career, a relationship, finances, starting a family, etc. it can be hard to prioritize yourself and your needs. Something my therapist says often about boundaries is that they’re for YOU and you alone. No one else has to like them, but it shouldn’t matter because they’re not for others. As a recovering people-pleaser myself, you feel like you have to agree to attend every holiday family gathering that’s 5 hours away from where you live and that lasts days on end because Uncle Jimmy will be there and it’s been years since you’ve seen him. Some people have family members that almost guilt trip into you going, even when your mental capacity is low and you cannot possibly afford presents for everyone. IT’S OKAY TO SAY NO. You cannot be expected to attend every event or gathering out there. The holidays shouldn't be this stressful and somehow they have due to familial and societal expectations.

Last year, Mason and I did a lot of traveling around Christmas and New Year’s. We would be home for a day or two and then we would leave for a few days, come home again, and repeat the cycle. I felt like we didn’t get to spend any time in our own space and enjoy our decorations because we were gone so much. We even hosted a New Year’s Eve party and somehow I was able to put all of that together while still working full-time. Well, this year I just told myself that enough was enough. I couldn’t do the extensive traveling again and I simply just didn’t want to. Thankfully, our Thanksgiving was very calm and we didn’t go far, and our Christmas gatherings are going to be the same (I also work the days before and after Christmas Eve and Day, so I was limited in traveling long distances anyways). And our only New Year’s Eve plans will be sitting on our butts in our pjs the Stranger Things finale and turning in at 10pm. Plus, Mason and I and the cats are our own family unit now. I want to create new memories with my new family, and it should be that way as a 20-something adult. These are boundaries I set for myself and it required no effort other than communication. It really can be as simple as that. Don’t feel bad about taking time for yourself - you’ll be glad you did when you look back and remember that your holidays were more fun than not.

My Challenge For You

I challenge each and every one of you to set your own boundary or two this holiday season. Don’t give into pressure or guilt tripping you may receive, and really listen to your body and mind because it’ll tell you what you need. Winter is the season of hibernation for almost all of nature, and it should be the same for humans too. Give yourself some extra rest this time of year. You made it to December, and that deserves celebration!

I myself am setting a boundary right now by saying that this will be my last blog post of 2025! I want to prioritize my new job and spending time with friends and family. I plan on picking back up writing and posting in the new year, starting January 7th and doing a post every other week. With that being said, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year filled with lots of joy and peace. I am so glad I made this decision to start a blog earlier this year and I’m grateful to each and every one of you for reading my posts. Thank you times a million!!! See y’all in 2026!

Love,

Grace

Here’s the bulletin board I did for the library :)