Holiday Stress, Family Visits & Finding Your Ground Again

Lani Cochran, LMT/NTP
Dec 15, 2025
3 min read

A gentle guide for moving through the season without losing yourself along the way.

There’s a moment every December when the season shifts from “festive” to “full". Full calendars. Full houses. Full schedules. Sometimes full hearts… and sometimes full plates in ways that don’t feel nourishing at all.

Even if this time of year is beautiful for you, it’s often a lot for the nervous system — colder air, less daylight, disrupted routines, family dynamics, travel, financial pressure, social expectations, and the invisible emotional labor that so often falls on the most responsible, thoughtful people in the room.

If you’ve been feeling stretched thin, overwhelmed, or pulled in too many directions, you’re not doing anything wrong — you’re simply human, and your body is responding to a heavy season.

This isn’t a guide about doing more. It’s about doing less — on purpose.

Here are a few ways to steady yourself as we move through the holidays.

1. Name what your body is actually feeling

We spend so much time trying to push through stress that we forget to check in.Before you add another task to the list, pause for ten seconds and ask:

How am I feeling right now?
What does my body need? Warmth? Food? Quiet? A boundary?
Where am I holding tension?

Awareness is grounding. It brings you back into your own experience instead of reacting to everyone else’s.

2. Set one gentle boundary (just one)

You don’t need to overhaul your whole life — one small, clear boundary can feel like an exhale.

Maybe it’s:

“I’m coming later than usual this year.”
“I love you, but I’m not available for that conversation today.”
“I’m resting tonight instead of doing one more errand.”

Boundaries are not walls; they’re pathways back to yourself.

3. Add warmth anywhere you can

In Ayurveda, this season is dominated by vata — cold, dry, airy, quick.The antidote is warmth, moisture, and steadiness.

A few simple ways to bring that in:

warm meals and warm drinks
longer showers or baths
cozy layers
humidifier nearby
facial oils or richer moisturizers
warm compress on tight shoulders or low back

Warmth reassures your nervous system in ways most people underestimate.

4. Don’t underestimate the power of five quiet minutes

People often think the only way to “reset” is a full day off. Not true.

Five minutes can change your whole trajectory.

Try…

lying on the floor with your knees bent
placing one hand on your heart and one on your belly
stepping outside for a quick breath of cold air
listening to one calming song
sitting in your car before going into the house
taking a slower, deeper breath than usual

Tiny pauses create space — and space creates ease.

5. Practice “just enough” care

During the busiest seasons, perfection works against us.Your goal isn’t to be your “best self”… it’s to offer yourself just enough support so you don’t burn out.

A few realistic options:

Ask for help in places you usually don’t.
Choose simple meals.
Book a massage or facial not because it’s indulgent, but because it helps your body regulate.
Say no to the extra thing — even if you could technically squeeze it in.

Let this be the season where you take your own needs seriously.

6. Let connection be simple, not performative

Holiday connection doesn’t need to be elaborate to be meaningful.

Try:

a slow walk with someone you love
sharing a meal instead of exchanging gifts
calling a friend while folding laundry
sending “thinking of you” texts instead of long check-ins
sitting quietly next to each other without filling the space

Connection doesn’t require performance. It requires presence.

7. Remember that your body is doing its best

Winter asks us to slow down. Our culture asks us to speed up.

You’re living inside that tension, and you’re navigating it with the tools you have — which is already enough.

If you need help supporting your body this month — easing stress, calming your skin, releasing tension, or simply creating one hour where someone else takes care of you — our team is here, truly.

Wishing you steadiness, warmth, and pockets of peace in the weeks ahead. 💜