12/18/2025
The holidays can bring joy, but they can also trigger old wounds, overwhelm, and cause emotional exhaustion. This guide offers grounded, trauma-sensitive strategies to help you move through the season with safety, gentleness and support.
🧠1. Know Your Triggers Ahead of Time
Take a moment to list:
đź‘«People
🧳Places
🗣️Conversations
đź“’Situations
…that increase stress or activate old pain.
Awareness is empowerment, not weakness.
🛡️ 2. Set Boundaries Without Guilt
Examples:
✔ “I can’t stay long.”
✔ “I’m not discussing that topic.”
✔ “I need some quiet time.”
Boundaries protect your nervous system and your healing.
🚪 3. Give Yourself Permission to Step Away
You can take a break.... outside, in your car, or in another room.
Distance doesn’t mean defeat; it means regulation.
🌿4. Prioritize Sensory Comfort
For trauma survivors, sensory overwhelm can be triggering.
Soften your environment with:
-Warm blanket
-Comfortable clothing
-Calming scent
-Dimmed lights
-Gentle music
đź’› 5. Practice Self-Compassion, Not Self-Criticism
Try saying to yourself:
“This is a lot. I’m allowed to take care of myself.”
