Why the Holidays Can Feel So Overwhelming (And What Helps)
Holiday Decore at Rise Mindful Healing
For many people, the holidays arrive with good intentions—and land with a lot of pressure.
Even when life is going well, this time of year can bring a familiar mix of stress, emotional fatigue, and overwhelm. Schedules fill quickly. Expectations rise. The pace of daily life speeds up just as the days grow shorter and darker.
If you’ve found yourself feeling more anxious, irritable, exhausted, or emotionally tender lately, you’re not imagining it—and you’re not alone.
At Rise Mindful Healing in Old Town Newhall, we see that time for self care is the first thing people cut to make space for the additional holiday commitments, furthering the feeling of overwhelm. And the truth is, holiday overwhelm isn’t a personal failure. It’s a nervous system response.
Why the Holidays Can Feel So Hard
From the outside, the holiday season is often framed as joyful and celebratory. But inside the body, a lot is happening all at once.
Here are a few reasons this time of year can feel especially overwhelming:
1. Your nervous system is already carrying a full load
By the time December arrives, most people have spent months in “go mode”—working, caregiving, managing responsibilities, and navigating daily stress. The holidays don’t replace that load; they add to it.
Your nervous system doesn’t reset just because the calendar changes. When more demands pile on without enough recovery, overwhelm is a natural response.
2. Disrupted routines create internal instability
Regular rhythms help the nervous system feel safe. During the holidays, routines around sleep, meals, movement, and quiet time often disappear. Even positive changes—travel, gatherings, celebrations—can feel destabilizing to the body.
Without consistent anchors, the nervous system stays on high alert.
3. Emotional memory plays a role
The holidays can bring up old family dynamics, unresolved grief, or memories tied to previous seasons of stress or loss. Even if nothing “bad” is happening now, the body remembers.
This is especially true for people who have experienced trauma, chronic stress, or long periods of emotional responsibility.
4. Sensory overload is everywhere
More noise. More lights. More social interaction. More decisions.
For a nervous system already stretched thin, constant stimulation can quickly tip into overwhelm, fatigue, or shutdown.
What Actually Helps When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed
The most supportive thing during times of stress is not pushing through or trying to “fix” yourself.
What helps is regulation—giving your nervous system clear signals of safety, support, and rest.
Here are a few ways to begin doing that.
Start with the breath
Your breath is one of the fastest ways to communicate safety to your body.
A simple practice:
Inhale slowly through your nose for 4 seconds
Exhale gently through your mouth for 6 seconds
Repeat for 2–3 minutes
Longer exhales help calm the stress response and bring the body out of urgency.
This is why breathwork, meditation, and gentle yoga are foundational practices at Rise—they work with your nervous system, not against it.
Create moments of stillness on purpose
You don’t need hours of free time to regulate your system. Even brief pauses matter.
Lying down during a sound bath. Sitting quietly in a sauna. Taking 10 minutes to rest without stimulation. These moments give your body a chance to reset instead of staying in constant output mode.
Stillness isn’t a luxury. It’s a biological need.
Use warmth to support relaxation
Heat has been used for centuries to support relaxation, circulation, and recovery. Infrared sauna sessions help the body release tension while signaling safety and rest to the nervous system.
Warmth can be especially supportive when stress shows up as tightness, fatigue, or feeling “on edge.”
Gentle movement instead of intensity
When life feels overwhelming, the body often benefits more from slow, intentional movement than high-intensity exercise.
Gentle yoga, stretching, and mindful movement help release stored tension without adding more stress. Movement paired with breath can restore a sense of connection and grounding.
Consistency matters more than perfection
One-off self-care can feel nice, but it’s consistency that creates real change.
This is why we think about wellness as something supportive and ongoing—not something you only reach for when you’re already depleted. Regular practices help the nervous system build resilience over time.
Gentle Breathing Techniques
Children are introduced to simple breathing exercises that help slow the body down and bring awareness back to the present moment. These practices are taught in ways kids can remember and use at home, at school, or during moments of stress.
Somatic Movement
Movement plays an important role in helping kids regulate their nervous systems. Through gentle, intentional movement, children learn how to release excess energy, reconnect with their bodies, and feel more grounded.
Guided Awareness Exercises
Kids explore noticing sensations, emotions, and thoughts in a way that feels safe and non-overwhelming. These exercises build self-awareness and help children recognize that feelings come and go — and that they have tools to support themselves when emotions feel big.
Emotional Recognition & Regulation
Rather than labeling emotions as “good” or “bad,” children learn how to recognize what they’re experiencing and respond with curiosity and care. Over time, this helps build emotional literacy and resilience.
A Different Way to Think About the Holidays
Instead of asking, “How do I get through this season?”
Try asking, “What would help my body feel supported right now?”
That shift—from pushing to listening—can change everything.
At Rise Mindful Healing, our goal isn’t to add more to your plate. It’s to offer a place where care is already thought through, where your nervous system can soften, and where you don’t have to figure it all out on your own.
If the holidays feel heavy this year, know that nothing is wrong with you. Your body is responding to a lot.
Support doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes it starts with a breath. Sometimes it starts with rest. And sometimes it starts with choosing a space that understands what your nervous system actually needs.