Inviting grounding and self-kindness in the lead up to Christmas
A woman in a white jumper holds a mug in her hands looking out the window
The weeks before Christmas can stir up a mixture of excitement, pressure and emotional fatigue. Even if you enjoy the season, it often brings a pace that is faster than your body can comfortably keep up with. There are plans to make, people to respond to, expectations to hold and old family patterns that seem to reappear the moment December begins. It’s very easy to slip into autopilot and tell yourself to just get through it - and many people do. But underneath that push to keep going, the body may start sending signals that it needs you to slow down and pay attention.
You might notice it in the mornings when your chest feels tight before the day has even begun, or in the evenings when your thoughts run ahead of you. You might find yourself saying yes to things you don’t have the energy for, or feeling unusually irritated by small demands. None of this means you’re failing at Christmas or being unreasonable, it often means you’re carrying more than you realise.
This time of year can bring up old stories about who you’re expected to be. The reliable one. The strong one. The person who smooths things over or makes sure everyone else has a good time. Those roles can be deeply woven into family life, and they tend to feel heavier when the holidays approach. Even if you’ve grown and changed, your body may still brace in familiar ways, preparing for what it remembers rather than what’s actually happening now.
It can be grounding to pause and ask yourself a simple question: what do I need in this moment? Not what others need from you or what you think you should be doing, but what might help you feel a little steadier. Sometimes the answer is a short walk, a slower morning, or permission to do something in a way that feels more manageable. Sometimes it’s choosing to step back from a plan that drains you: these small moments of honesty make a difference.
Self-kindness at this time of year isn’t about opting out of everything. It’s about staying connected to yourself while you move through a season that can be demanding. It’s choosing to listen to your limits rather than pushing past them. It’s letting yourself be human rather than expecting perfection. When you come from this place, the holidays often feel more spacious and less like something to endure.
You don’t need to earn rest or prove that you can hold everything together. You’re allowed to take your time, soften the pace and place your wellbeing back in the centre of things. Even one gentle decision can shift the tone of the whole season. And that small act of care for yourself is often what makes everything else feel a little lighter.
