Boundaries are not a cure-all. And not all boundaries are “healthy.” Boundaries are the rules or limits we have for ourselves around what we will and will not do, what we can and cannot tolerate. Boundaries alone will not save an unhealthy or unfulfilling relationship. But they are an important part of maintaining healthy relationships and preventing burnout and resentment.

Many people find their romanticized ideas of the holiday season shattered by the realities of family tension, conflicting values, and old behavioral patterns reemerging. Throw in changes to eating and sleeping routines and it might feel like you’re merely surviving the holiday.

Resentment is a complex, multilayered emotion often associated with a perceived sense of unfairness or mistreatment, or unmet expectations.