Self-Care for the Holidays

November 21, 2025

Video Transcript

My name is Courtney Maze, and I want to talk to you today about mental health and wellness and self-care for the holidays. The holidays can be a beautiful time and joyful, but they can also be stressful, emotional, and overwhelming. It’s a time full of expectations, busy schedules, family pressures, and, for many, a reminder of experiences and people that we’ve lost.

Today I want to talk about something we all need: mental health and wellness—self-care for the holidays. We’ll cover some key areas like setting boundaries, honoring grief, supporting our bodies with sleep and nutrition, spending time outdoors, and grounding ourselves in the present. Everything I share with you today is backed by research; it’s not just self-help advice. So let’s go ahead and dive in.

First, we’re going to start with boundaries—boundaries with time and family. During the holidays, there’s a lot of pressure to say yes to every gathering, every tradition, every family expectation. But one of the kindest things that we can do for ourselves is to set boundaries around our time and our energy. According to a study published in the Journal of Mental Health, people who practice healthy boundaries have lower stress, better emotional regulation, and stronger relationships.

Some examples of boundaries are: “I’d love to come by, but I’m keeping that day for rest.” “Let’s connect for a short call; I won’t be able to stay on the phone long.” Or simply, “That doesn’t work for me.” And also, “No” is a complete sentence. You’re not responsible for managing other people’s emotions or feelings about our limits. We are responsible, though, for taking care of ourselves.

Next, we’re going to talk about making space for grief. The holidays can bring up a lot of grief, especially if we’ve lost a loved one or gone through any major life change, or if we’re just missing how things used to be—and that’s OK. Grief and joy can exist side by side. Research published in Death Studies shows that acknowledging grief rather than avoiding it is associated with lower emotional distress and better long-term coping. So this season, make space for grief, and it can look any way you want, including lighting a candle in someone’s memory, sharing a story about a loved one, writing a letter, allowing yourself to cry—or not. Whatever your grief looks like, let there be space for grief without judgment. It’s a reflection of love.

Now we’re going to talk about supporting our bodies with sleep, nutrition, and movement—because mental health lives in the body too. Holiday stress and travel can really mess with our sleep, but poor sleep is directly linked to higher rates of anxiety and depression. So we need to try to keep our wind-down routines the same if we can. One way that can look is: if you go and start getting ready for bed around 9:30 at night at home, try to do that too when you’re traveling. Give yourself time to relax and fall asleep. Avoid screen time an hour before bed. Stop caffeine consumption after 2:00 PM. Keep your sleep and wake times consistent when you can. Make sure that your environment is helpful for falling asleep—make sure it’s dark, a comfortable temperature, that your bedding and clothing are comfortable too, that it’s not getting wrapped up and tangled on you. And if you need a night-light, get a night-light. Whatever it is that supports sleep for you, bring those things with you on the road.

Nutrition is also important. There are so many good treats and foods when we’re out on these holiday trips or going to parties, and we don’t want to restrict ourselves—but we need to remember that what we eat can affect our brains and bodies. A review in the World Journal of Psychiatry showed nutrient-dense diets, including leafy greens, omega-threes, and whole grains, help with mood regulation and help lower depression. So yes, as you’re going through that buffet, grab some delicious cookies, but also look: is there salad? Is there some other green like kale that you can add in to help support your body?

Also, movement—don’t forget about movement. It’s really easy to get to these parties and we’re all standing around talking, we’re eating, we’re having a nice time, but we need to get our bodies out there and have some physical activity. Even 10 minutes of moderate exercise helps boost our mood and reduce stress hormones. You don’t have to go to the gym, you don’t have to leave where you’re at; you can just stretch, you can go outside, walk around the block, dance in your kitchen. What matters is that you’re consistent in movement and that it’s joyful for you.

One thing that happens in winter—and I think we’re all seeing it now—is the days get shorter. It starts getting dark between 4:30 and 5:30. So we need sunlight. Spending time out in nature and in sun sounds super easy, but with the shorter days it can get hard to get that time in, especially if we’re working or traveling. But it does significantly improve our mental well-being. A study from Frontiers in Psychology found that just 20 minutes in nature lowers our cortisol levels, which is the stress hormone for the body. Stepping outside once a day, even if it’s cold, is a good thing to try. You can walk your dog, you can sit on a bench, you can take a phone call outside—I mean, watch a couple of TikTok videos too; I mean, that goes by fast. Sunlight helps us regulate melatonin and serotonin, which support sleep and mood. If you’re in a dark climate, you can also think about getting one of those little therapy lamps—they’re about this big. They’re backed by research, and you can get them off of Amazon.

One thing that can also be hard, but is essential for wellness, is staying present in the moment. Our screens on our phones and our devices are often an escape. So if we’re already feeling anxious or bored or lonely, it’s super easy to just pick those up and start scrolling away. But too much screen time, especially on social media, has been linked to higher rates of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. So one thing you can do is look at having digital boundaries: no phones at dinner, turn off your notifications, set a limit for scrolling and let the alarm go off—and then stop. And to be more present, use your senses while you’re sitting there. What do you smell? What do you see? What do you feel under your feet? You know, this is called grounding, and it helps reduce anxiety, and it helps calm our nervous system and also be present in the moment.

So let’s recap what we’ve covered today:

setting boundaries to protect our time and energy;
making space for grief, whether we’re missing someone or something;
supporting our bodies with sleep, nourishing food, joyful movement;
getting sunlight and fresh air;
and staying grounded through limiting our screen time and tuning into the present moment.

The holidays don’t have to be perfect. They don’t have to look like everyone else’s either. They just need to be authentic and manageable for each of us. So check in with yourself and ask, “What do I need today?” And then give yourself permission to follow through. You deserve rest. You deserve peace. You deserve care—not just from others, but from yourself.

If you feel you might need a little extra help this holiday season, reach out to us at Insight and we’ll be happy to set you up with a counselor. Thanks for listening, and I hope you find moments of joy and happiness this holiday season.

Courtney Maze is a therapist at Insight Counseling Centers’ office in Franklin, Tennessee. Her areas of focus include spiritual trauma, neurodivergence/autism, and older adults.