Permission to Slow Down this Holiday Season
During the holiday season, our nervous systems often absorb more than we realize- constant plans, crowded spaces, shifting schedules, and the pressure to be “on” can keep us in a low-grade state of activation. Slowing down, even in small and intentional ways, gives the body a chance to recalibrate. When we pause, our parasympathetic nervous system has space to come online, softening tension, deepening our breath, and restoring a sense of internal safety. These moments of slowness aren’t indulgent- they’re biologically supportive, allowing us to move through the season with more steadiness, presence, and genuine connection.
1. Adjust Routines
Maintaining the same routines from the summer or fall is not always realistic in the winter. Humans are cyclical beings. We experience a lot of natural ebbs and flows of life (circadian rhythms, menstrual cycles, daylight hours, moods, external and societal stressors, work-life balance, grief, etc.) - and not only is that normal, it’s constant. Consider: if we don’t feel the same every day, why are we expecting ourselves to operate at a high level every day?
You make the rules here! Give yourself permission to test our new routines to determine how they feel. We’re allowed to experiment and play around in this area to help build realistic routines. Could you try a new routine for a week and then check in with yourself about how it went? What was easy and natural? What was difficult? How can those answers inform future adjustments to make?
For me personally, moving my body early in the morning just doesn’t feel as realistic in the winter. When it’s cold and pitch black outside, it’s a lot harder for me to get myself going in the morning. Instead of feeling dread, pressure, and subsequent failure for skipping workouts, I give myself permission to work out less in the winter. I honor my natural rhythms by starting my mornings with a cup of tea and a book, and unsurprisingly, I find it much easier to start my day when I have something cozy to look forward to.
Challenge: We often feel that if we take breaks or honor our natural rhythms, then we’ll never get back to a place of self-discipline. Many of us tend to fear this outcome, even if we’ve never tested it out before. So, test it out! Taking breaks and adjusting routines helps manage burnout. Moving my body is important to me overall, so it’s something I find my way back to naturally when it feels more aligned. Allowing the fluctuations helps me to recognize that. .
2. Consider the Barriers
Ask yourself: why do I feel like I can’t slow down? What’s in the way? What are the assumed consequences of slowing down? It’s common to overestimate consequences. Any time assumptions are involved, that means we need more information. This is a great opportunity to test out our assumptions and actually gather evidence of what will happen, rather than just speculating about it. Maybe it goes a lot easier than expected. Maybe it’s challenging, but you feel proud of yourself for considering your needs. Remember your capacity to repair and recover after difficult moments.
Challenge: Notice the tendency to think in extremes in this area. Maybe it doesn’t feel accessible to slow everything down right now, and that certainly does not need to be the expectation. Is there one area of your life where slowing down feels more accessible? Is there one day coming up where slowing down could be beneficial?
3. Rethink Tradition
It’s natural and normal for traditions to feel different over the years. Sometimes traditions add pressure, expectation, dread, or end up feeling like another task to get done. Now is a great time to examine traditions and consider: how do I feel about this tradition now? Does this feel doable this year?
Challenge: We all can fall victim to ourselves and our own unnecessary rules and pressure. Examine what rules you’re creating for yourself and consider why you’re following those rules. Give yourself permission to break or adjust a rule- because you can! Keep an eye out for those “should” statements.
Feel free to have more conversations about slowing down with your friends and family! Odds are, they could use a little break too :)
Things to Remember
Remember, behavioral change is a gradual process. Start with small, manageable steps to even just acknowledge and identify moments where you can slow down and be present in the moment as a way to cope with stressors this holiday season.
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