Shawn M. Keith, MS, LPC-S

12/17/2025

Day 8: A 2‑Minute Reset

Hand to heart. Deep breath.
“This is hard. I’m doing my best. I deserve gentleness today.”

The holiday season can be beautiful, but it can also be overwhelming. Stress piles up quickly—expectations, schedules, emotions, family dynamics, and the pressure to “hold it all together.” If you’re feeling stretched thin, you’re not alone.

I’m practicing this reset right alongside you. Even as a therapist, I’m not immune to the weight of this season. Taking two minutes to pause, place a hand over my heart, and speak to myself with kindness has been surprisingly challenging—and incredibly grounding.

This simple practice is a reminder that we don’t have to push through on sheer willpower. We can slow down. We can soften. We can offer ourselves the same compassion we extend to others.

If today feels heavy, try this reset with me. A moment of gentleness might be exactly what your nervous system needs.

12/12/2025

✨ Day 7: Create a Quiet Corner ✨
From your local therapist who definitely has her own quiet corner… and hides in it frequently.

Today’s invitation is simple: pick a small spot in your home where you can slow down. It doesn’t have to be Pinterest-worthy. It can be a chair, a corner, the end of your couch, or even that spot by the laundry you keep pretending you don’t see.

Add a few cozy things:
🧣 A soft blanket
🕯️ A candle (bonus points if it smells like “I’m trying my best”)
📓 A journal
🎶 Calming music or nature sounds

This becomes your pause place—the spot you go to for two minutes, ten minutes, or however long you need when holiday chaos starts sounding like a small marching band in your brain.

Remember:
You deserve rest.
You deserve peace.
And you are absolutely allowed to take a break—even from people you love, casseroles you agreed to make, and group texts that won’t stop buzzing.

Take a breath. Take a moment.
Your quiet corner is waiting. 💛

12/10/2025

Day 6: Ask for Help (Even Once)

As a therapist, I need to confess something: I am terrible at this one. Truly. I can teach vulnerability, boundaries, and healthy support all day… but the moment I need help, I suddenly transform into a one‑person circus act juggling 14 tasks while saying, “No no, I’m good, this is totally sustainable.”

So today’s challenge is for both of us: Let someone help you.

Maybe it’s wrapping gifts you’ve been hiding in your closet like a holiday dragon. Maybe it’s childcare so you can breathe for five uninterrupted minutes. Maybe it’s letting someone listen while you insist you’re “not stressed” even though your eye has been twitching since Tuesday.

Asking for help isn’t a crisis. It’s a kindness. It’s a strategic energy‑saving move. It’s basically the emotional equivalent of switching to LED lights.

If it feels awkward, congratulations—you’re human.

✨ More holiday stress management coming tomorrow.

12/09/2025

Day 5 — Move Gently

Shake off holiday stress—literally! Take 10 minutes to walk, stretch, or dance like nobody’s watching. 🎶✨

Even the silliest moves count double—feel the tension melt and enjoy this little gift to yourself. 💃❤️

12/09/2025

🎄 Day 4 — Simplify a Holiday Task

We took an extra day this round — a little pause, a little exhale.
Maybe you needed that space, and honestly, I think I did too.

Today, take a slow breath and check in with yourself.

Notice where your body feels tense or tired when you think about your holiday to-do list. Let that be your guide.

Choose one task you can soften, simplify, or lovingly release.

Maybe it’s allowing a meal to be easier, simplifying gift giving, or letting go of an activity that no longer supports your well-being.

This isn’t giving up — it’s tuning in.
It’s choosing presence over pressure, compassion over expectation.

Give yourself permission to create space for what truly matters.

More holiday goodness will follow tomorrow. 🎄✨

12/05/2025

🎄 Day 4: Choose One Thing to Make Easier

Today’s prompt is simple: Pick one thing you’re willing to loosen, lighten, or let go of this season. Not forever — just for right now.

Maybe it’s a mental expectation you’ve been carrying:

✨ Feeling like everything has to be magical

😊 Staying cheerful nonstop

📞 Being available to everyone

🏡 Keeping the house perfect

Maybe it’s an obligation you can reduce:

🙅‍♀️ Saying no to one event

⏳ Shortening a visit

📵 Skipping a draining call

🚪 Stepping out of a planning thread

Maybe it’s a task you can simplify:

🎁 Wrapping gifts less elaborately

🧽 Cleaning only the spaces people will actually see

🚫 Ignoring one area of the house entirely

🛒 Buying something instead of making it

Maybe it’s a boundary you want to protect:

🕕 Stopping work at a certain time

🛑 Refusing to engage in certain topics

🧘‍♀️ Carving out 30 minutes of alone time each day

Whatever you choose, letting go of just one thing can create more breathing room than you’d expect.

✨ If you’re enjoying these daily prompts, make sure you’re following my page so you don’t miss the rest of the series.

And a quick heads‑up: Day 5 goodness will be on hold until Monday — taking my own advice and giving myself a little space too.

More calm, more clarity, more ease coming next week.

12/04/2025

✨ Day 3: Honor Your Loved Ones ✨

Light a candle and let its flame become a doorway between worlds.

Play a song they cherished and feel the notes shimmer with their spirit.

Speak their name as if calling across a gentle veil, or offer a memory like a blessing.

When we make space for grief, it becomes a quiet realm— a place where love moves in unseen ways and those we miss draw near in the hush of our remembering.

✨If this resonates, I’d be honored to have you follow my page as we move through all 12 days of stress management through the holidays with care, compassion, and support. ✨

12/03/2025

🌿 Day 2: Set One Boundary 🌿

The holidays can feel overwhelming, but small boundaries are powerful acts of self‑care. Today, choose just one—something simple that protects your time, energy, or commitments.

✨ Examples: ⏰ Time Boundaries

“I’ll only check emails for 20 minutes in the morning.”

“I won’t stay at social events longer than an hour.”

“I’ll stop working at 6 PM, no matter what’s left.”

🔋 Energy Boundaries

“I won’t answer calls while I’m resting.”

“I’ll take a 10‑minute break after every meeting.”

“I’ll say no to tasks that drain me without purpose.”

📅 Commitment Boundaries

“I’m not taking on new projects this week.”

“I’ll only commit to one social outing this weekend.”

“I won’t discuss this topic today—it’s off limits.”

💛 Remember: boundaries don’t have to be big to make a difference. Even one small choice can help you find your footing and breathe easier.

Stay gentle with yourself—and stay tuned for more goodness tomorrow! 🌟

12/02/2025

Day 1: Breathe & Ground

Take 3 slow breaths.

Identify 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.

May this help you find your footing when the holidays feel overwhelming — and stay tuned for more goodness tomorrow!

12/02/2025

Welcome to the 12 Days of Stress Management Through the Holidays—your daily dose of calm, grounding, and emotional support during a season that can be both beautiful and overwhelming.

Whether you’re juggling family, expectations, work deadlines, or navigating grief and loss, you deserve space to breathe and be gentle with yourself.

Over the next 12 days, I’ll share practices to help you find balance, protect your peace, and carry both joy and tenderness with intention.

11/19/2025

Absolutely!!!

Some moments don’t need to be fixed—they just need to be felt. 💛 Acknowledging “this is really hard” can be the most compassionate thing we do for ourselves. It’s a quiet act of courage and care.

What helps you stay present with yourself when life feels heavy?

11/11/2025