6 Mindful Survival Strategies to Soothe Your Spirit If the Holidays Are Hard This Year

Jennifer Stanley • December 1, 2025

The holidays aren't always happy, but you can make them more peaceful.

The holiday spirit can be hard to find if you’re managing grief, struggling with illness, relationship issues, job loss, or financial hardships. Sometimes, multiple bad things occur at once, creating a miasma of misery that makes you want to return every cheerful seasonal greeting with a hearty “bah, humbug” or a few other choice words.

While engaging in the mad holiday rush can feel like a welcome distraction for some people, some of the time, it can also overwhelm anyone – especially when you’re also processing weighty emotions. These six mindful survival strategies aren’t magic cures, but they can help you step back and soothe your spirit a bit before re-engaging in the festivities, especially if your holidays are a little hard this year.

1. Take a Yoga Break

You knew this suggestion would appear. It’s often amazing what a little bit of quiet, contemplative physical movement can do to adjust your mood and mindset. Sometimes, the effects are subtle but just enough to get you over that next “hump.” Ten minutes of yoga or five minutes of deep breathing can be lifesavers if you struggle with addiction, and they stand between you and temptation.

It’s what inspires Only in Sedona Yoga to produce our Weekly Wednesday short videos. While some are designed to wake you up or cool you down, others are perfect for anytime you sense your tolerance thermometer entering the red zone. Although you can use equipment, you don’t need any. Plus, wearing comfortable clothes that make it easy to move anytime, anywhere, is another way to show compassion to yourself this holiday season if 2025 has been hard on you.

2. Try a “Sensory Shock”

Even if you hate wintertime, it’s the perfect season for shocking your nervous system. It often takes nothing more than stepping outside into the cold for a few. While it sounds extreme and possibly painful, mild sensory “shocks” can rebalance the parasympathetic and sympathetic sides of your central nervous system, restoring a sense of calm centeredness and bringing you back to yourself.

Other sensory “shocks” you can play with, courtesy of Dr. Megan Anna Neff, clinical psychologist, author and educator about all things neurodivergence, include:

Cold showers
Singing or humming
Smelling an essential oil
A weighted blanket

Experiment, as the type and degree of intensity of the “sensory snap” you need might vary. It could even change with time.

For example, my nervous system has taken a beating over the years, so the sensory “shocks” that work for me tend to be extreme. My favorite, though, comes from my camper days. Even now that I’m conventionally housed, I turn off the heat at night out of more than mere frugality and sustainability. You see, I’ve tuned into the magic that happens when I brave frigid temps to make tea and feed Squeeks the cat, only to dive back under the covers once my toes have become ice cubes. The contrasting sensory shock floods my brain with enough feel-good chemicals to give me an hour or two of seriously productive time.

3. Cling to a Comfort Object (and Identify Safe Spaces)

If you have a weighted blanket, wintertime also provides the perfect excuse to carry it with you everywhere you go. Other people need not know that it serves as your “woobie” or “security shield.” Everyone knows that one person who is “always cold,” so let that person be you, and embrace how courteous you are to everyone else by bringing along that extra layer instead of insisting they adjust their thermostats.

Other comfort objects can be more discreet. For example, many places of worship have special tokens or “angel stones” you can put in your pocket and rub when you need an extra burst of strength or calmness throughout your day. You might even come across a rock in nature that has particular significance to you.

It also helps to identify safe spaces if you feel emotionally vulnerable but must mingle with others. Where is the nearest bathroom? A quiet office or even a broom closet where you can retreat if you feel overwhelmed and need a minute? Your car is another handy place — did you leave something in the backseat? Who would argue with you taking a few minutes to go out and look for it?

4. Make Your Own Holiday Playlist

If hearing Mariah Carey through supermarket speakers just one more time is going to send you over the edge, there’s an app for that. And headphones. Today’s bone-conduction models make it safer than ever to tune into something comforting without compromising your ability to hear approaching traffic or other ambient noises, giving you more control over your auditory environment when you must be out and about in the hustle and bustle.

Once you have the right earbuds, design your own holiday playlist, which may not contain a single jingle bell. Instead, tune into binaural beats or solfeggio tunes for white noise, tune into some LoFi for focus, or build a custom playlist for your every holiday mood, from blue to rage-y.

5. Pare Down and Play Tradeoff

The holidays demand more of you. However, if 2025 has already exacted a steep toll, you might not have extra to give. That’s okay. Instead, pare down and play tradeoff, swapping at least one of your usual chores every time you add an extra one into your schedule. Do you have to prepare a dish for the office holiday potluck this week? Then guess what? The sheets get washed next week.

Some holiday events, like your office party, might be unavoidable. Others you can skip. Make two lists, one consisting of holiday “musts,” the other consisting of “maybes.” Write the “maybes” on the inside of one of those old-school origami “fortune tellers.” Select as many as you realistically have the energy to commit to. With the rest, make like a good baseball fan and let them go for the season with a shrug and an “eh, there’s always next year.”

6. Just Say No

As personal safety expert Gavin de Becker writes, “No” is a complete sentence. You don’t owe anyone an explanation when you RSVP “no thank you” to an invitation. However, another hard-to-swallow lesson my autistic self has come to recognize over the years is that people often want something, some kind of reason, to soften the blow of “no.” That doesn’t mean you have to tell them the complete story if doing so is going to make you melt down or become uncomfortably emotional in a traditionally unemotional space (like your workplace).

A simple, “I’d love to, but I have to decline. This year has been hard on me, and I’m looking forward to this time to regroup,” is sufficient. Expect people to press you gently, and be ready with an “I appreciate that, thank you, but I must still say no.” Anyone who is overly insistent is clearly showing that they don’t respect your boundaries. Is that the kind of person you really want to spend the holidays with when you already feel emotionally fragile? Hint: No.

Mindful Survival Strategies If Your Holidays Are Hard This Year

The holidays are a festive time of celebration. Much as you don’t want to be a downer on other people’s fun, it’s equally important to recognize and honor yourself if you don’t feel up to the standard holiday cheer this year.

Low-key holidays can sometimes be best, anyway. There’s a curative power in spending the year’s end in quiet contemplation, maybe enjoying your favorite takeout with your cat. It’s certainly nothing to disparage or treat as “unworthy” of celebration if a little “you time” is exactly what you need. You’re not a “Who,” and no one is going to punish you for failing to sing ‘Fah Who Doraze’.” On the contrary, stepping back can keep you from turning into the Grinch and irreparably harming relationships with those you love.

Many of us find it best to strike a balance between engaging in traditional celebrations and honoring our need for rest and reflection at year’s end, especially if we’ve had a rough time over the preceding months. I know that after losing not one but two family members this year, I most look forward to quiet time to nurture and heal my heart. It doesn’t mean I love the holidays less; it just means I’m mindful of where I am and what my needs are, too.

If you are reeling from losses or at a difficult place in your life, please remember that the people who truly love you will respect your needs as much as you respect theirs. Take the time you need to center yourself so that your interactions with others, even if brief, remain positive and kind. We at Only in Sedona Yoga wish you a peaceful, balanced and blessed holiday season.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

A purple cabbage is sitting on top of a wooden cutting board surrounded by other vegetables.

Can't Sleep? Try This Evening Ritual (Updated for 2026)

By Jennifer Stefanow • July 13, 2026

Can’t Sleep? Try This Evening Ritual (Updated for 2026) Written by Jennifer Stanley Few things in life are psychologically harder to cope with than insomnia. You know sleeplessness is going to affect you the next day. Worse is the anxiety that builds when it strikes night after night. You stumble through waking life like a zombie but curse the sight of your bedroom ceiling through your open eyelids at night. Although scientists don’t fully understand why living creatures need sleep, they know it harms your health when you don’t get enough. You become more accident prone, and your risk of various diseases increases. Plus, you get moody and snap at loved ones, straining your relationships As someone who struggles with insomnia, I empathize. While nothing health-related is guaranteed, certain habits and practices can nevertheless make it easier to get your Zzz’s. Try parts or all of this evening ritual the next time you can’t sleep or, worse, suffer a stretch of insomnia. What’s Causing Your Insomnia? Get Mindful Finding the root cause of your insomnia might be a no-brainer. An ailing loved one, a struggling relationship, work woes, financial troubles — all can impact sleep quantity and quality. If difficult life circumstances underpin your insomnia, radically accepting that you might find it hard to sleep for a while can sometimes, ironically, help. If not, at least it stops that nagging anxiety-choir of “what’s wrong with me, I’m exhausted, I know I need rest.” Acknowledging, “Hey, anyone would be struggling right now,” can be just the shot of loving-kindness your weary soul needs, and while it’s no substitute for eight solid hours, it’s better than fighting a losing battle with dreamland. Medicine, Food, and Hormones, Oh, My! At other times however, your insomnia might arise from physical or environmental factors you may not have considered. For example, medications as diverse as beta blockers [1], antidepressants and even cold tablets can affect sleep. Undiagnosed food allergies can likewise affect slumber by raising histamine levels [2] that promote wakefulness. If you suspect a sensitivity but can’t afford testing, the elimination diet method can sometimes pinpoint a culprit. Be patient and methodical, as it can take a while if you’re sensitive to something outside of the Big 8. Hormones are also a factor — shout out to my other 50-somethings experiencing night sweats. High cortisol levels are a common offender [3], hence, why it’s harder to sleep during life’s most stressful moments. However, keep in mind that changes in other hormonal levels, such as estrogen [4], can also cause cortisol fluctuations. If possible, consider a consultation with your doctor. If primary care offers few answers, a qualified naturopath or other holistic health practitioner may take more time to go over all over your symptoms and your life history to establish a course of care. Examine Your Daily Routine How you pace your day influences how well you sleep at night. In general, you want to tackle your toughest mental and physical activities soon after waking, taking on less stressful activities as you get closer to bedtime. Recently, some people have reported terrific success using the 10-3-2-1-0 sleep rule. What Is the 10-3-2-1-0 Sleep Rule? Dr. Jess Andrade, sports medicine physician, explains the 10-3-2-1-0 sleep rule [5] as a guide of activities to cease at specific intervals before bedtime to encourage more restful sleep. It works like this: Stop drinking caffeine 10 hours or more before bedtime. Caffeine blocks your adenosine receptors [6], a body chemical that builds up over the course of the day, making you sleepy. Finish your last big meal at least three hours before bed. Digestion can stimulate you, keeping you awake, and lying down too quickly after eating can trigger gastric reflux. Stop all work activities at least two hours before bed and begin your evening ritual. Turn off all screens at least one hour before bed, as it stimulates your mind and the blue light can keep you awake [7] by affecting melatonin. How many times do you hit snooze? Zero! That’s a big goose egg. Studies suggest hitting snooze doesn’t add to quality sleep and may extend morning grogginess [8], a condition called sleep inertia. The Role of Exercise What about exercise? Doesn’t a good daily workout help you get more rest? Yes, and exercise should absolutely be a part of your routine — with one caveat. Three hours before bed, cease all heavy physical activity. You can still include a gentle, soothing yoga routine, such as the one below, to ease you into dreamland. However, save anything that exerts your muscle power or gets your heart pumping for earlier in the day, as it keeps your core temperature elevated [9] and revs up your metabolism, which can make sleep elusive.