How Somatic Therapy Can Ease Your Holiday Stress
The holiday season often brings a mix of joy and challenges. Festive lights, cheerful music, and gatherings with family and friends can be something to look forward to. They can also create stress, particularly if you are managing trauma or sensory sensitivities. The holidays amplify expectations and disrupt routines. This can leave many people feeling emotionally and physically drained. Fortunately, somatic techniques—body-based practices that help regulate the nervous system—offer a powerful way to navigate holiday stress. These techniques connect the mind and body! They help you to manage triggers, increase resilience, and feel calmer during the holidays. In this blog, we’ll identify common holiday stressors and learn somatic practices to regain balance amidst the chaos.
Understanding Holiday Stress
The holidays are a time of heightened emotions and activity. Seasonal depression can also be common during this time of year. For some, this means celebration. For others, it means stress, overstimulation, or reminders of past trauma. Recognizing your unique trauma triggers is essential for creating a plan to manage them.
Common Holiday Stressors
Social Pressures: Holiday gatherings often bring a mix of people, including relatives, coworkers, and friends. These interactions can trigger feelings of inadequacy, exclusion, or loneliness. For instance, being at a party where you feel out of place can leave you drained.
Sensory Overwhelm: Bright lights, loud music, and strong scents like pine or cinnamon can overstimulate you! Empaths or highly sensitive people are especially prone to feeling overwhelmed by sensory experiences.
Relationship Flashbacks: Encounters with shared traditions tied to past relationships may lead to sadness, anger, or loss. Whether it’s seeing an ex-partner or revisiting family rituals, these moments can feel emotionally charged.
Family Obligations: Reuniting with family members when there is unresolved conflicts or past trauma can be triggering. The expectation to interact with individuals who’ve caused harm can be particularly challenging.
Disrupted Routines: Travel, hosting guests, and shifting schedules often lead to disrupted daily rhythms. Without your usual grounding habits, you may feel unbalanced or stressed.
Food and Drink Challenges: Communal dining may pose difficulties for individuals managing eating disorders, food sensitivities, or sobriety. Navigating these settings can add another layer of anxiety.
Reflections on Time Passing: The end of the year often prompts reflections on life milestones, aging, or unmet goals. This can stir feelings of regret, sadness, or urgency.
Grief and Loss: The absence of loved ones—due to death, estrangement, or transitions—can feel more pronounced during the holidays. Rituals and traditions may evoke bittersweet emotions.
Somatic Techniques To Manage Holiday Stress
Somatic techniques emphasize the mind and body are connected! They help you recognize stress signals and respond effectively. During stressful moments, your nervous system may activate the fight, flight, or freeze responses. These are survival mechanisms designed to protect you. However, prolonged activation can leave you feeling anxious, disconnected, or drained.
Somatic practices help you:
Identify stress responses in your body.
Regulate your nervous system and regain a sense of safety.
Build resilience by increasing awareness and choice in the moment.
Cultivating Glimmers During the Holidays
One transformative concept in somatic work is the idea of “glimmers,” popularized by therapist Deb Dana. Glimmers are small, positive moments that signal safety and connection to your nervous system. These brief experiences provide respite from stress and help restore balance. Glimmers are subtle yet powerful. They might include the sparkle of holiday lights, a child’s excitement as they see their present, the warmth of a cozy blanket, or the scent of fresh pine. Noticing glimmers trains your nervous system to focus on moments of calm and joy, even amid chaos.
How to Notice Glimmers:
Set an Intention: Each day, aim to notice 1–4 glimmers in your surroundings.
Pause to Savor: When you spot a glimmer, take a moment to fully experience it.
Tune into Your Body: Observe how the glimmer feels physically—does it bring relaxation, warmth, or a sense of ease?
Anchor the Moment: Take a deep breath or pause to take a "snapshot" of the moment as a way of holding onto the sensation.
Turning Glimmers into Glows
When savored, glimmers can grow into glows—deeper, more sustained feelings of connection and calm. For example, noticing the beauty of snowfall may evoke a fleeting sense of joy. By pausing to observe the texture of the snow, the crispness of the air, and the quiet it brings, you can transform this glimmer into a glow. Over time, this practice helps rewire your nervous system, increasing your capacity for joy and calm.
Steps to Deepen Glimmers into Glows:
Stay Present: Resist the urge to rush through the moment.
Engage Your Senses: What do you see, hear, feel, or smell?
Let the Feeling Expand: Smile, take a slow breath, or imagine the warmth spreading throughout your body.
Listening to Your Body
One key aspect of somatic work is listening to your body. This involves noticing your physical sensations and responding compassionately. By honoring your body’s signals, you slowly create a sense of safety and trust within yourself.
Examples of Body Listening During the Holidays:
Leaving Early: If you feel overstimulated at a party, give yourself permission to leave.
Saying No: Politely decline invitations or commitments that feel draining.
Taking Breaks: Step outside or go to a quiet room when you need a moment to reset.
Grounding Affirmations for Stress Relief
Affirmations can provide a steady anchor when you feel overwhelmed. Repeat these as needed or create your own:
“I deserve peace and joy this season.”
“It’s okay to set boundaries to protect my well-being.”
“I can find moments of calm, even in chaos.”
“I honor my body’s needs with compassion.”
Setting Boundaries for a Peaceful Holiday Season
Boundaries are essential for protecting your mental health. They enable you to engage with the holiday season on your terms, without compromising your well-being. Setting boundaries isn’t about rejecting others—it’s about prioritizing your peace and well-being.
Tips for Setting Boundaries:
Limit Attendance: Choose which events to attend and how long you’ll stay.
Bring a Support Person: Attend gatherings with a trusted friend, partner, or pet, who can provide emotional backup.
Communicate Expectations: Share your boundaries with family or friends ahead of time.
Schedule Self-Care: Block out time for rest or quiet activities before and after social engagements.
Post-Holiday Recovery
The period after the holidays is as important as the season itself. This is a time to recharge, reflect, and integrate your experiences.
Post-Holiday Recovery Practices:
Journaling: Write about what went well during the holidays and what you’d like to adjust next year.
Engaging in Restorative Activities: Meditate, read, or spend time in nature to recalibrate.
Acknowledging Your Efforts: Celebrate the fact that you navigated the holiday season, even if it wasn’t perfect.
See a Somatic Specialist in Michigan
The holiday season doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. By integrating somatic techniques—like noticing glimmers, setting boundaries, and listening to your body—you can navigate the holidays with more presence, ease, and joy. Small, intentional practices can help you reclaim moments of peace, creating a season that feels more manageable and meaningful. To connect with a somatic therapist, follow these easy steps:
Be matched with one of our somatic therapists.
Reduce the impact of holiday stress!
Other Online Counseling Services Available in Michigan
At Embodied Wellness, PLLC we offer a variety of holistic treatment services for adults and teens with anxiety, depression, and OCD. We also specialize in many forms of trauma therapy including Somatic therapy such as Somatic Experiencing, DBT, CBT, ERP, Internal Family Systems, and EMDR therapy. We offer online therapy in Michigan También ofrecemos terapia en español en Michigan. Start getting past your trauma today by visiting our Detroit-based practice. We also provide low-cost therapy.
About the Author:
Sarah Rollins, LMSW, SEP is the founder of Embodied Wellness, PLLC, a group therapy practice providing online therapy in Michigan. She is passionate about expanding awareness of somatic therapy as a way to treat and heal trauma. She incorporates other holistic treatments into her practice including EMDR and IFS.