Self-Care During the Holidays: Holistic Approaches for Inner Peace (Copy)
The holiday season is often marketed as a time of joy, celebration, and connection, but for many, it can bring stress, overwhelm, and emotional fatigue. Whether you're navigating family dynamics, societal pressures, or your own inner critic, the holidays can be an emotionally loaded time. But self-care doesn't have to be another item on your to-do list. It can become a practice of turning inward, understanding yourself more deeply, and finding ways to nurture both your mind and body.
In this post, we’ll explore holistic approaches to self-care through the lens of psychodynamic therapy and somatic practices—two powerful strategies that can help you cope with the emotional challenges the holidays may bring.
1. Tune Into Your Emotional Landscape (Psychodynamic Approach)
The holidays often bring up unresolved emotional patterns from the past, particularly around family and traditions. Psychodynamic therapy emphasizes the importance of understanding the unconscious mind and how past experiences influence our present behaviour.
Tip: Before the holiday season takes full swing, take time to reflect on your emotional triggers. Ask yourself:
What past holiday memories stand out to you, and how do they make you feel now?
Are there old family dynamics or unresolved conflicts that tend to resurface around this time?
What emotions do you tend to suppress or avoid during the holidays?
By identifying these emotional patterns, you can begin to understand their root causes and break free from cycles of reactivity. If you feel overwhelmed or triggered, try journaling or talking with a trusted friend or therapist to process those emotions in a healthy way. Recognizing and addressing emotional baggage can significantly reduce stress and increase your capacity for self-compassion.
2. Set Boundaries with Compassion (Psychodynamic + Somatic Approach)
The holidays often come with the pressure of saying "yes" to everything—attending family gatherings, gift exchanges, social obligations—leaving little space for your own needs. Psychodynamic therapy helps you understand the unconscious factors that drive you to overextend yourself, such as people-pleasing tendencies or fear of rejection. In combination with somatic work, which emphasizes bodily awareness, you can identify where in your body you feel tension or discomfort when you're struggling to set boundaries.
Tip: Practice body scans to identify physical tension that signals your need for a boundary. For example, if you feel tightness in your shoulders or a knot in your stomach when someone asks you for a favor, these are signs that your body is telling you "enough."
Take a moment to breathe deeply into the area of discomfort, gently acknowledging it. Then, ask yourself:
What do I really need in this moment?
What is a healthy, respectful way to say "no" that honors both myself and the other person?
Learning to set boundaries requires practice, but the more you listen to your body's signals, the more intuitive it becomes to protect your energy and honor your limits. Setting boundaries is an act of self-love, and it’s a critical form of self-care, especially during the holidays.
3. Ground Yourself in the Present Moment (Somatic Approach)
The holidays are often a time when our minds race with endless to-do lists and future-focused worries. In somatic therapy, we focus on reconnecting with the present moment by paying attention to the body’s sensations. Grounding techniques can help you center yourself when stress or anxiety begins to take over.
Tip: Try a simple grounding exercise:
Find a quiet space. Sit comfortably with your feet on the floor.
Focus on your breath. Take several slow, deep breaths, allowing your belly to rise and fall.
Notice the sensations in your body. Feel your feet firmly on the ground. Are your shoulders tense? Relax them.
Engage your senses. Identify five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.
This exercise can help you return to your body and the present moment, which can be especially grounding if you start to feel overwhelmed by the chaos of holiday shopping, planning, or social gatherings.
4. Cultivate Compassion for Yourself and Others (Psychodynamic + Somatic Approach)
Holidays often amplify feelings of guilt, shame, or inadequacy—especially for those who struggle with perfectionism or people-pleasing tendencies. Psychodynamic therapy teaches us that many of these emotions stem from early experiences and unconscious beliefs we may carry into adulthood. Somatic practices can help us work through these emotions by integrating mind and body awareness.
Tip: Practice self-compassion by gently noticing any negative self-talk or judgments that arise during the holidays. When you catch yourself being hard on yourself, pause and place a hand over your heart. Take a deep breath and remind yourself:
I am doing my best, and that is enough.
I deserve rest and joy, just like anyone else.
It’s okay to ask for support and take time for myself.
Use this moment of self-compassion to check in with your body—are there areas where you feel tension or tightness? Allow your breath to soften any areas of discomfort and give yourself permission to slow down, even if just for a few moments.
5. Embrace Rest and Downtime (Somatic + Psychodynamic Approach)
One of the most important aspects of self-care during the holidays is ensuring you have enough time for rest and relaxation. Psychodynamic therapy helps you examine how your unconscious beliefs about productivity and worthiness may drive you to overwork, even during a season that's meant to be restorative. Meanwhile, somatic practices can help you release the physical tension that accumulates from stress, allowing you to fully relax.
Tip: Set aside time each day for true rest—whether that’s taking a nap, walking in nature, or simply sitting in stillness. Use body-centered practices like progressive muscle relaxation to release tension and calm your nervous system. Slowly tense and relax each muscle group in your body, from your toes to your head, to help signal to your brain that it’s time to rest.
Conclusion: Holiday Self-Care as a Holistic Practice
The holidays can be a beautiful time for connection, but they can also trigger emotional and physical stress. By integrating psychodynamic and somatic approaches, you can engage in deeper self-care that honors both your mind and body. Whether it's through identifying emotional triggers, setting boundaries, or grounding yourself in the present moment, the key to navigating the holidays with greater ease is listening to your inner wisdom.
Remember: self-care is not about doing it all or being perfect. It’s about taking the time to nurture yourself and honor your needs. By staying connected to your body and your emotions, you can move through the holiday season with greater awareness, compassion, and peace.
Wishing you a holiday season filled with rest, reflection, and renewal.