End of Year Review and Somatic Tools to Prep for the Holidays
Seasons Greetings Brave Community!
As we step into December, anticipation, or possibly trepidation, lingers in the chilly winter air. For many of us, this time of year brings a swirl of emotions – joy and connection, alongside stress and grief.
The holidays often ask A LOT of us financially, mentally, physically, and emotionally, as we navigate family dynamics, busy schedules, and the tender weight of what this year has held.
This month, we invite you to pause and breathe. Together let’s make space to emotionally prepare for the holidays with intention and self-compassion. In this December issue of our newsletter you’ll find tools to support your emotional well-being during the festive season, as well as, thoughtful prompts to guide your end-of-the-year reflection.
Let’s do our best to welcome the opportunity to close 2024 with intention, clarity, care, and gratitude for all that 2024 brought us – the joy, the pain, and everything in between.
Emotional Prep for the Holidays
Is there a part of you that’s excited for the holidays?
Is there a part of you freaking out about the stress of it all?
If so, you are not alone in experiencing that inner turmoil. And, no, there’s nothing wrong with you, and no, you’re not going crazy. We all have different parts of self with different thoughts, feelings, and opinions on things.
But, instead of ignoring your inner turmoil, what would it be like to slow down and get curious? Could it be that these parts of you are popping up during the holiday season because they are trying to signal you about something?
What if, instead of white-knuckling-it through the holidays like years past, you do some emotional prep?
Here’s a tailored list of 20 somatic and holistic tools to help you navigate the holiday season with more ease and joy, especially when managing stress and complex family dynamics:
Emotion & Nervous System Regulation Tools
Grounding: Use tactile objects like a smooth stone, a fidget toy, a piece of jewelry, or textured fabric in your pocket to ground yourself (i.e. stay in the present moment) during stressful moments.
Calming Breathwork: Practice slow exhales – this helps get the parasympathetic branch of your nervous system to come back online during a stress response. Inhale easily and naturally, then slowly let it out, or, hold your thumb 5-10 inches away from your face and as you exhale blow on your thumb like you’re blowing on a candle flame without trying to blow it out. Do this for ~5 minutes.
Body Scans: Spend 5-10 minutes scanning your body for tension. Invite release and relaxation by focusing on softening specific areas (ex: jaw, shoulders)
Shake It Out: Fight or flight stress responses produce an excess of energy in the mind and body, so do your best to release this excess energy via movement like shaking, pushing, running, jumping. Literally shake your hands, legs, and whole body (all the way to your core) to release excess energy and pent up tension after difficult moments or conversations.
Movement Breaks: Excuse yourself every hour, or every couple of hours, for a quick walk and/or stretch. Movement helps discharge built-up stress.
Energy Management
Pre-Socializing Recharge: Dedicate time to a solo activity (reading, a walk, a yoga class, journaling) before gatherings to fill up your emotional tank.
Post-Gathering Decompression: Plan a soothing activity like a hot bath, gentle yoga, or watching a comforting show after a gathering to reset.
Set Boundaries: Decide in advance how much time you’ll spend at events or with certain people, and prepare to work through feelings of guilt about leaving early or declining invitations. Also, do your best to speak up and set boundaries in the moment as needed.
Holistic Mindset Strategies
Reframe Expectations: Replace “Everything must go perfectly” with “It’s okay to focus on meaningful moments, no perfection”. Or, replace “I just want to have a good time” with “It’s okay to focus on moments of joy, it’s unrealistic to think everything will be enjoyable”.
Gratitude Practice: Our brains already have a negativity bias, so they will easily be able to identify and focus on what’s not going right. To help counteract this negativity bias, try identifying 3 things each day you appreciate about this time of year or the gatherings you’re attending.
Inner Child Check-In: Everyone has an inner child (whether it’s realized or not). Do your best to check-in with your inner child daily because this is the part of us that can get particularly hurt during the holidays due to being around people that have hurt them in the past.
Specific Family Dynamic Strategies
Anchor a Safe Space: Identify a safe space in the home or outside that you can go to when you notice yourself starting to feel overwhelmed or triggered.
Silence as a Tool/Non-Reaction Practice: When someone says or does something hurtful, do your very best to pause instead of react. Use silence as a tool to let the person know that what just happened was noticed and was not okay.
Mantras: Create a repeat affirmations like, “All I can do is my best and my best is different day to day” or “I am learning that I can protect myself and open to connection”
Keep Up with Self-Care
Balanced Nutrition & Hydration: While holiday food is delicious, it also tends to be rich and therefore hard on our systems. Do your best to prioritize protein and hydration to stabilize your blood sugar and energy which allows your nervous system to not have to work so hard.
Sleep Hygiene: Quality sleep during the holidays is key for managing stress and fostering patience in navigating complex family interactions. Do your best to maintain a consistent sleep schedule, avoid stimulants like caffeine later in the day, and continue with your wind down routine at night before bed.
Modified Routine: Having a predictable daily structure provides stability and reduces decision fatigue, even amid holiday chaos. Do your best to stick to some semblance of your normal daily routine i.e. if you usually wake up, have breakfast and go to yoga before starting your day, keep doing that!
Mini-Digital Detox: Since there will already be so much going on, do your best to limit social media use as this is a space that can quickly get overstimulating without even realizing it.
Support Systems
Stay Connected to Safe People: Do your best to stay in contact with the safe people you have in your day-to-day life, even if that means you need to get a little creative in the way that you connect with them. Perhaps seeing them in person (as you usually do) isn’t an option because they or you are traveling for the holidays, but could it be possible to do a video call with them, or text throughout the day, or send marco-polo’s? Safe connections act as a buffer against the stress of complicated dynamics and remind you that you are not alone.
Professional Support: Therapists are trained to hold safe, non-judgmental space and can also offer useful strategies for managing stress, setting boundaries, and processing emotions. Seeking, or keeping up with professional support during the holidays ensures you have support and guidance in navigating the heightened challenges this time of year brings.
As the holidays bring both joy and challenges, integrating somatic and holistic tools into your routine can provide grounding, resilience, and more emotional balance. These practices empower you to stay connected to your body, honor your needs, and navigate stress with greater ease and self-compassion. Remember, this season isn’t about perfection – it’s about finding ways to nurture yourself, maintain healthy boundaries, and create meaningful moments amidst the complexity. By prioritizing your well-being, you can approach the holidays with more clarity, presence, and peace.
In the next section of this December newsletter we’ve included some information and prompts to support you in your end of year reflections. We also know that this next section may not be needed until the very last few days of December, so feel free to save it in your email to revisit later when there is more emotional and energetic space to devote to your end-of-year review.
End of Year Review
While December can be a month of festive, holiday gatherings, it is also the final month in the calendar year. Because of this, many of us find ourselves naturally reflecting on the year that has passed and looking toward the new year that is about to begin in January. If you’d like to add some intentionality to your end of year reflections, see below to be guided through a powerful end of year journal ritual.
Set Your Space - We know it may seem silly or insignificant, but being intentional about how your space feels as you reflect and journal – setting up your space is PART of the ritual! Do your best to set your space in a way that you feel seen, held and at ease. The more comfortable you feel, the more communication you will receive from your inner system.
Ideas for setting your space: Find a private space, make a calming or favorite beverage, light a candle, set up pillows & blankets, set your lighting in a way that feels good, open up a window and air the room out to bring in fresh new air and help you find a clear state of mind. What else would help you feel seen & held in this process?
Grounding Practice - Take a few moments to center and ground yourself in your body. Click here to be guided through a 90 second end of year embodiment practice.
Journal - Grab a blank page or your journal and at the top write “2024 was…” and then write down one word, or a short concise summary, about the overall feeling that is lingering here at the end of 2024 for you.
Then, complete the following journal prompts:
What sensations and energy can you notice in your body right now as you reflect on the past year? Write down any and all body sensations.
Reflect on the word or phrase you wrote at the top of your page. Is this phrase free from bias? Are there any old stories or narratives from the past you need to let go of?
What was the most challenging part of 2024 for you? What made it challenging?
What are the biggest or hardest lessons you learned this year?
What were the best parts of 2024 for you? What made them so good?
What were the risks you took this year? What made them happen?
What life lessons were you able to accept and integrate in 2024?
In what ways have you grown, changed or progressed this past year?
What can you do today that you didn't think was possible a year ago?
Who were the three people that had the greatest impact on your life this year?
What was your most loving service to someone or something?
What is your unfinished business from this year?
What else do you need to do or say to be complete with this year?
As always, we are here for you. If you find yourself needing some extra support during the holidays, or you’d like more guidance completing your end-of-year reflections – we got you. Just head to our website at www.bravecounseling.com, click the “contact” tab in the upper right-hand corner of our website, submit a contact form and we will be in touch with you ASAP!