12/24/2025
"How to Relax & Truly Enjoy the Holidays
✨ The holidays are cozy… and chaotic. As the days get colder and sunlight slips away, many of us crave blankets, soup, movies, and slow moments—yet find ourselves pulled in every direction by family gatherings, work, shopping, expectations, and the pressure to “keep up.”
🎄 If you’ve ever scrolled past perfectly decorated homes, flawless cookies, or picture-perfect festivities and felt overwhelmed, behind, or just not enough—you’re not alone. The holidays can bring joy, but they can also bring stress, grief, financial strain, and emotional exhaustion. This season, take a breath.
Here are a few grounding reminders inspired by our very own Victoria Brown to help you protect your peace:
💙 Be kind—to yourself and others. Everyone carries invisible burdens—seasonal depression, anxiety, loss, burnout. A little extra kindness goes a long way (and comes back to you, too).
💙 Simplify where you can. Make a list. Cross off what doesn’t truly matter. Ask for help when tasks feel heavy. You don’t have to do it all—and you don’t have to do it alone.
💙 Focus on what counts. Not the “perfect holiday,” but the moments: laughter in the kitchen, hot cocoa with friends, old movies, board games, music filling the house. These memories—not the decorations—stick with us.
💙 Give yourself space to breathe. Try a quick grounding exercise:Find a quiet spot, breathe deeply, and focus on your inhale and exhale for 1–2 minutes. Let wandering thoughts pass and gently return to your breath. Or settle in for a few minutes of meditation—slow breathing, closed eyes, and awareness on your body.
✨ The holidays can be magical—but only if you slow down enough to feel them. Protect your peace. Welcome what matters. Let the rest go.
✨ Read more at her blog here at: https://insightclinicalcounseling.com/how-to-relax-and-enjoy-the-holidays/ "
