18/12/2025
Surviving the Season: 5 Therapist-Backed Tips
For many of us December feels like emotional overload: family dynamics, financial pressure, disrupted routines, loneliness, exhaustion… and the pressure to “be festive” on top of it all.
As a psychotherapist, here are 5 grounded tips to help you move through the season with steadiness, not stress:
1. Lower the bar — emotionally and practically.
Give yourself permission not to do everything, attend everything, or feel everything you think you “should”. Realistic expectations are protective for your nervous system.
2. Create micro-moments of calm.
You don’t need an hour of meditation.
Try 60 seconds of slow exhale breathing before entering a busy room. Small resets, repeated often, keep your system regulated.
3. Protect your energy with gentle boundaries.
It’s okay to say no.
It’s okay to leave early.
It’s okay to choose peace over pleasing.
Boundaries aren’t rejection, they’re self-respect.
4. Notice what you need, not just how you feel.
Feeling overwhelmed? You might need space.
Feeling lonely? You might need connection.
Feeling drained? You might need rest.
Needs give direction. Emotions give information.
5. Stay connected to people who feel safe.
Whether it’s a friend, colleague, partner, or online community. Regulate with people who make you feel grounded, not judged. Co-regulation is one of the most powerful tools we have.
If this time of year feels heavy, you’re not failing, you’re human.
You’re allowed to make this season work for you, not against you.
