5 Tips for Managing Stress Around the Holidays
The holidays tend to bring a mix of excitement and pressure. There is joy, of course, but there is also a lot of emotional labor that falls on us as women. Family expectations, travel, overstimulation, and awkward conversations - to name a few! Old roles within the family system that pull you back into versions of yourself you’ve outgrown.
For high achieving women who already carry a lot, this season can feel like a perfect storm for holiday stress. You want to show up well, but you also want to protect your peace. You want connection, but you don’t want to lose yourself in the process. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
With a little intention, you can navigate the holidays with less stress, more clarity, and a lot more self-respect.
Tip #1: Set Expectations Ahead of Time
Most holiday anxiety comes from feeling like you have to react to everything in the moment. You don’t.
Decide ahead of time what you’re willing to participate in and what you’re not. Think about conversations, events, traditions, or tasks that drain you. Think about the ones that genuinely matter. Set your boundaries ahead of time before you’re overwhelmed.
This doesn’t make you difficult. It makes you clear. When you know what you’re available for, you show up with more presence and less resentment.
Tip #2: Have a Grounding Strategy
The holidays can be overstimulating, especially if you’re juggling family dynamics, perfectionism, or old emotional patterns. Having a grounding strategy ready helps your nervous system stay steady.
This could look like:
• Stepping outside to breathe for a minute
• Putting your feet on the floor and taking a slow inhale
• Noticing five things you see around you
• A quiet bathroom moment to reset before rejoining
These small breaks help you regulate your emotions so you respond instead of react.
Tip #3: Limit Over-Commitment
People-pleasing is one of the biggest sources of holiday burnout. You may feel obligated to attend every event, buy the perfect gifts, host the perfect meal, or say yes to every request.
You don’t have to. Your worth is not measured by how much you do or how well you meet everyone else’s expectations.
Choose the commitments that align with your energy. Let the rest go. When you stop spreading yourself thin, you create room for moments that actually feel meaningful.
Tip #4: Prepare for Emotional Triggers
Family has a way of bringing up old patterns fast. You might slip into childhood roles, feel pressure to be the “responsible one,” or find yourself walking on eggshells around certain people.
Preparing for this doesn’t make you negative. It makes you resourced.
Think about what usually triggers you. Is it a certain comment, a certain dynamic, or a certain person? Think about how you want to handle it this year. Give yourself permission to walk away, pause, redirect the conversation, or check in with your partner.
Awareness is one of your strongest coping tools.
Tip #5: Prioritize Rest Before and After
Holidays take energy, even the good parts! Build in rest before and after family events so you’re not running on fumes. Take a slower morning. Say no to the thing that doesn’t matter. Give yourself a buffer day after travel.
Rest is not indulgent. It’s preventative care. When you support your body and mind, you show up with more patience, more presence, and far less emotional reactivity.
Get Support Before the Stress of the Holidays Sets In
If the holidays tend to bring up anxiety, family overwhelm, or old emotional patterns, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Therapy can help you feel more grounded, more resourced, and more confident in the boundaries you set. If you’re located in Virginia, Florida, Missouri, or Mississippi, get in touch with us for support before the holidays so you can enter the season with clarity and support.
Margaux Flood, LCSW, is a licensed therapist with over a decade of experience supporting clients in Virginia and Florida. She specializes in couples therapy, women’s mental health, anxiety, and self-esteem, using evidence-based approaches like Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), mindfulness-based techniques, and attachment-focused interventions to help clients strengthen connection, build confidence, and feel more grounded in themselves and their relationships. , Margaux Flood, LCSW is committed to providing compassionate, expert virtual care for clients across Virginia and Florida. Her team also provides individual psychotherapy services across the states of Mississippi and Missouri.