How to Stop Overthinking and Actually Enjoy Your Holidays
The holiday season is here, and while it’s filled with sparkling lights and joyful gatherings, it can also bring restlessness, sleepless nights, and a busy mind that’s hard to quiet. If you find yourself tossing and turning or overwhelmed by your to-do list, know you’re not alone. Holiday anxiety is common, but with a few intentional shifts, you can find peace amid the chaos.
Here’s some tips from a licensed therapist on how to care for your mind and body during this season.
Move Your Body, Even Though It’s Cold
Winter often makes us retreat indoors, swapping outdoor strolls for screen time under a cozy blanket. While that’s tempting, too much time inside can leave you feeling restless and disconnected. Movement, especially outdoors, is essential—not just for physical health but for your mental well-being too.
You don’t need a gym membership or a rigid workout routine to feel the benefits. Start small:
A brisk 10-minute walk during your lunch break.
Stretching in your backyard or on your balcony.
A short yoga flow by an open window.
Dance party in your living room with your kids or pets
At home workouts that you can stream on your phone
Bundle up if it’s chilly and step outside, even if it’s just to take in the fresh air and sunlight. Your body craves movement, and your mind will thank you for the reset.
Watch Your Alcohol Use
Holiday parties go hand in hand with alcohol. Whether its wine, beer, champagne, spiked cider, or holiday themed cocktails. While it’s normal to enjoy a celebratory drink, alcohol can disrupt your sleep patterns and increase feelings of anxiety. If you’re noticing more sleepless nights or grogginess the morning after, pay attention to your drinking habits.
By cutting back, you might find your mood steadier and your sleep deeper, helping you feel more grounded during the holidays.
When you’re hosting holiday parties, include a fun non-acoholic drink option. By making a festive non-alcoholic option rather than some tap water and soda, you are normalizing and providing a fun alternative for your non drinking friends. You never know who is cutting down on their alcohol use or doesn’t drink alcohol at large social gatherings. Some festive non-alcoholic options:
Sparkling water with fresh cranberries and mint.
Warm spiced cider.
A hot cocoa bar with all the toppings.
Get Sunlight (Yes, Even in Winter)
Just like plants, we need sunlight to thrive. Natural light boosts serotonin levels, improves mood, and helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle. While winter days are shorter, you can still prioritize sunlight in small, intentional ways:
Sit by a sunny window as you sip your morning coffee.
Take a quick walk in the morning or early afternoon to expose yourself to sunlight and nature.
Keep your blinds open to let in as much natural light as possible.
On nicer days, be intentional about spending more time outdoors
If you can’t get enough sun exposure because of your work schedule or other circumstances, consider using a light therapy box designed to mimic natural sunlight. A few minutes each day can make a difference in your energy and mood.
Focus on Glimmers
Holiday anxiety can pull your thoughts toward what’s wrong—unfinished shopping, family stress, or general feelings of anxiety, guilt, regret. Which is why you need to train your brain to notice small moments of joy instead. If you don’t, your brain will naturally focus on triggers.
Enter glimmers: the opposite of triggers. Glimmers are sensory moments that bring calm, peace, or happiness. They’re often fleeting but incredibly powerful for shifting your mindset.
Here’s how to spot them:
The warmth of your favorite sweater as you sip your evening tea.
The golden glow of sunlight through your living room window at your favorite time of day in your home.
The smell of your favorite holiday cookies (mine is gingerbread) baking in your oven.
The fragrance of a holiday candle that brings light and warmth to your home.
The blooming of a Christmas cactus that has sat on your windowsill since last Christmas.
When you notice a glimmer, pause. Soak it in. Let it ground you in the present moment. The more you practice noticing glimmers, the more your brain will naturally gravitate toward them, even during stressful times.
Your brain is always going to pay attention to your environment, with glimmers we teach our brain what kinds of things we actually want to notice.
Finding Your Calm
This holiday season, you don’t have to be perfect or do it all. By prioritizing movement, reducing alcohol, seeking sunlight, and noticing glimmers, you can create pockets of peace—even on the busiest or gloomiest days.
When you start to feel overwhelmed, remind yourself: this is a season of giving, connection, and love—not perfection.
If holiday stress is keeping you up at night, or you’re constantly feeling like you’re falling short, therapy can help.
I help women heal the invisible wounds that lie just under the surface and cause feelings of inadequacy and thoughts like “I’m not good enough.” Together, we can work together to create a life that is free from your invisible wounds, so you can be yourself and be present during the holidays and into 2025.
I work with adult women virtually throughout California and in-person at my office in Lompoc, CA.
