How to Protect Your Nervous System During the Holidays

The holidays can be magical but also overwhelming. Between travel, family expectations, social plans, and end-of-year pressures, it’s easy for your nervous system to shift into overdrive.

Studies from the American Psychological Association show that 38% of adults report higher stress levels during the holiday season. When stress becomes chronic, it can dysregulate the vagus nerve, the key communicator between your brain and body, leading to symptoms like poor digestion, anxiety, insomnia, and fatigue.

The good news? You can train your nervous system to find calm, even in the busiest moments.

1. Breathe Like It Matters (Because It Does)

Slow, deep diaphragmatic breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, signaling to your brain that it’s safe to relax. Try this: inhale for 4 counts, exhale for 6. Do this for one minute before a family gathering or while waiting in line, it’s a mini-reset for your entire system.

2. Replace “Go Mode” with “Glow Mode”

When your body feels rushed, your energy contracts. But when you slow down intentionally, you activate the parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) system, your body’s healing state. Give yourself permission to rest, say no to one thing, and choose joy over perfection.

3. Anchor with Ritual

Rituals help your nervous system feel safe. Whether it’s morning journaling, herbal tea before bed, or 10 minutes of stretching, these small practices become anchors of safety and self-regulation during chaotic times.

As I often share in Awaken Now, healing starts with awareness and every choice you make to regulate your body’s stress response ripples into every area of your life. If you’re craving deeper restoration, consider gifting yourself (or a loved one) an Awaken Now Retreat, a space designed to rewire the nervous system, reset the body, and reconnect you to peace from the inside out.

This season, calm is the greatest luxury and it’s one you can choose, moment by moment.