The holidays are often painted as a season of joy and connection — yet for many, they also bring stress, overstimulation, or emotional overwhelm. Even when surrounded by people we love, our nervous system can struggle to stay regulated amidst travel, disrupted routines, social expectations, and old family dynamics.
If you’ve ever felt yourself tense up, shut down, or lose your sense of balance this time of year, you’re not alone. The key isn’t to power through — it’s to listen to your body’s cues and help your nervous system find its rhythm again.
Understanding Your Nervous System During the Holidays
Your autonomic nervous system (ANS) constantly scans for safety or threat — what polyvagal theory calls neuroception. When it senses safety, you’re grounded, connected, and at ease. When it detects overwhelm, your body shifts into fight, flight, or freeze responses, even if there’s no real danger.
During the holidays, your system might feel pulled between:
- Social engagement (connection and warmth),
- Mobilization (stress, urgency, rushing), and
- Shutdown (numbness, fatigue, or withdrawal).
Recognizing these shifts with compassion — not judgment — is the first step toward regulation.
Somatic Practices to Support Holiday Regulation
These gentle, body-based practices help you reorient to the present moment and restore a sense of safety and calm. You can weave them into your daily routine or use them when you notice tension building.
- Orient to a Sense of Calm and Support
Look around your space and notice what feels neutral or pleasant — the glow of a candle, a soft blanket, a friendly face.
Let your eyes move slowly and breathe as you take in what feels safe.
This helps your nervous system recognize that the present moment is not the past.
- Give Your Body Permission to Move
Stress energy is meant to move through us. Take a short walk after family gatherings, stretch between events, or shake out your arms and legs when you feel keyed up.
Even a few minutes of movement can help discharge tension and restore equilibrium.
- Breath & Light Visualization
Take a few slow, intentional breaths.
As you inhale, imagine drawing in a calming, healing light — whatever color or quality feels right for you. Picture this light moving through your body, wrapping around each cell like a warm embrace, restoring balance and ease. As you exhale, imagine that same light expanding outward — surrounding your whole body like a protective bubble of calm and safety. Stay with this image for a few breaths, allowing your system to soften and settle.
- Create Mini Restorative Moments
Regulation doesn’t always require long breaks — it’s about pausing with intention.
Step outside to breathe fresh air, place a hand on your heart, or sip something warm and notice the sensation.
These micro-moments of care help your system stay balanced throughout the day.
- Head Hug
Place one hand on your forehead and the other at the back of your head, gently cradling your skull. Take a few slow, steady breaths and feel the boundaries of your head — where it begins and ends. Notice the warmth of your hands and the quiet support they offer. You might imagine your breath moving between your palms, soothing the space that holds your thoughts and perceptions. Stay here as long as it feels comforting, allowing your system to settle into a sense of containment and safety.
- Honoring Boundaries and Pace
One of the most powerful forms of nervous system care is honoring your own limits.
You’re allowed to say no, to take quiet time, or to leave early when your body signals it’s had enough. Boundaries aren’t selfish — they’re the language of self-regulation and self-respect.
Bringing It All Together
Caring for your body through the holidays isn’t about perfection or constant calm — it’s about noticing when you drift away from balance and gently guiding yourself back.
When you listen to your body, breathe through moments of tension, and give yourself permission to rest, you create the conditions for your nervous system to soften. And in that softening, joy, presence, and connection can arise naturally.
If this season feels especially challenging, know that support is available. Working with a somatic or trauma-informed therapist can help you learn to listen to your body’s cues, regulate your nervous system, and move through the holidays — and beyond — with greater ease and self-compassion.