DEAR HARRIETTE: The idea of coming home for the summer gives me terrible anxiety.
I promised my parents that I would come home for two months this summer starting at the end of May. I’ve finally bought my ticket, but I’m getting increasingly nervous about it.
My parents and I tend to biker about small things when I’m home. The dynamic is much different than it used to be, and I don’t think that we know how to be around each other for that long anymore.
The thought of running into people that I went to high school with also makes me nervous.
How do I stop feeling so anxious about returning home?
Summer Visit
DEAR SUMMER VISIT: Decide in advance that you are going to have a positive visit all the way around.
Make a pact with yourself that you will stand in your own power as a young adult who does not have to fall into unproductive patterns just because you are at home. Design a schedule for yourself that allows you to have alone time every day so that you can settle yourself as needed.
