Holiday Stress: Why Your Body Feels It First — and How to Reset Your Nervous System When Everything Gets Loud

The holidays have a way of exposing what’s actually going on inside us.

Most people assume the stress comes from the to-do lists, the travel, the family dynamics, or trying to make everything “perfect.” But as someone who works with the nervous system every single day — both in the adjusting room and through coaching — I can tell you this:

Holiday stress isn’t about the holidays
It’s about your capacity.

It’s about how regulated (or dysregulated) your nervous system already is before the season even starts. It’s about the hidden stressors your body has been carrying all year — the ones you’ve pushed through, adapted to, or ignored because life demanded you keep going.

And when November and December arrive, the body simply says:

“There is no more room to hold this.”

This is why people who are normally patient find themselves snapping at small things.
Why people who are usually organized suddenly can’t think straight.
Why you might feel more emotional, more tired, more sensitive, or more “unlike yourself.”

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone — and you’re not failing. Your nervous system is doing exactly what it’s designed to do under chronic stress: protect you.

In this blog, I want to walk you through:

• why holiday stress hits so hard

• how your physiology responds (long before your mind catches up)

• signs your body is sending you

• and simple, realistic tools you can use to stay grounded, clear, and connected to yourself throughout the season

Why Holiday Stress Hits the Nervous System Harder Than Other Stress

Most stress we deal with the rest of the year is predictable. Work, routines, schedules — even if they’re busy, your brain has a rhythm.

But the holidays disrupt everything:

1. Your normal routine disappears.

Your nervous system thrives on predictability. When sleep schedules, eating patterns, and daily rhythms shift, your brain loses its sense of safety.

2. Old emotional patterns get activated.

Family dynamics, childhood memories, expectations, guilt, comparison — the holidays are a perfect storm. Not because you’re weak, but because your nervous system learned certain survival patterns long before adulthood.

3. There’s more sensory input.

Noise. Crowds. Lights. Shopping. More conversations. More demands. For a dysregulated system, this is like turning the volume up on everything at once.

4. Blood sugar, mineral balance, and digestion all shift.

You’re eating differently, sleeping differently, moving differently — and if you’re already mineral-depleted (which many stressed, high-achieving women are), this amplifies the stress response.

5. You’re trying to “hold it together.”

And that’s exactly what pushes your sympathetic system over the edge.

None of this is your fault. But being aware of it gives you back power.

The Body Signals Most People Miss (Until It’s Too Late)

Holiday stress often shows up physically before it shows up mentally.

Here are the most common signs I see in my office and with my clients:

• sudden irritability or emotional reactivity

• brain fog

• digestive changes (bloating, constipation, reflux, urgency)

• overwhelm over small decisions

• tight chest or shallow breathing

• jaw tension or clenching

• headaches

• sugar cravings

• feeling tired but wired

• insomnia

• the “I don’t feel like myself” sensation

These aren’t personality flaws.
These are nervous system signals.

Your body is trying to tell you:

“Slow down. Pay attention. You can’t pour from a dysregulated system.”

And that’s actually great news — because these signals are invitations. With the right tools, you can shift your state quickly and sustainably.

8 Nervous System Tools for a Calmer, Clearer, More Connected Holiday Season

These aren’t fluffy, performative “self-care” suggestions.
These are functional nervous system resets you can use anytime, anywhere — tools I teach to my chiropractic patients, my coaching clients, and inside my programs.

Use them individually, or pair 2–3 together for deeper regulation.

1. Set Boundaries Before You Need Them

Waiting until you're overwhelmed to decide your limits never works.
Your system needs clarity ahead of time.

Take 5 minutes and ask yourself:

• What will protect my energy this year?

• What drains me that I can reduce or decline?

• What will help me feel grounded and present?

Setting expectations in advance prevents resentment later — and your body relaxes when it knows what to expect.

2. Shake Out Your Hands for 20 Seconds (A Quick Vagus Reset)

This sounds simple because it is — and it works.

When stress builds, your body stores tension in your extremities. Shaking your hands activates your lymphatic system and signals your brain, “We’re safe. You can downshift.”

It’s one of the easiest pattern interrupters during a family gathering or stressful moment.

3. Step Outside or Into a Quiet Space for 2 Minutes

You don’t need anything fancy — just space.
Step outside, or slip into a bathroom, hallway, or any quiet corner.

Two minutes away from noise and stimulation gives your nervous system a chance to reset so you can come back grounded and clear.

4. Use Music to Change Your Chemistry

Sound is one of the fastest ways to shift your state.

Choose a song that makes you feel good and turn it up.
Your breath will deepen.
Your muscles will relax.
Your emotional state will follow.

This isn’t woo — it’s biology.

5. Eat in a Way That Supports Your Minerals (Not Perfectly — Supportively)

Holiday food isn’t the problem.
It’s the cumulative impact on a depleted system.

A few simple tweaks help stabilize blood sugar and cortisol:

• Eat protein first.

• Add minerals to your water.

• Skip the raw veggies if your digestion is already struggling.

• Keep snacks plain and simple (nuts, cheese, fruit, jerky).

• If you want dessert, eat it after a meal.

Small shifts = big impact on how you feel.

6. Use “Micro-Moments” to Breath Drop

A breath drop is 10–20 seconds of intentionally slowing your exhale.

It lowers cortisol, reduces emotional reactivity, and brings your frontal lobe back online so you can think clearly.

Try:

• inhale 3

• exhale 6

Do that 5 times. Your chemistry will shift.

7. Give Yourself Permission to Leave the Room

Not with drama — with self-respect.

If you feel overwhelmed:

• step into the bathroom

• go sit in your car

• walk outside

• stand in the hallway

Your body needs moments of decompression to stay regulated in stimulating environments.

8. Remember: You Don’t Have to Perform Your Holidays

One of the biggest sources of holiday stress is pretending.

Pretending you’re fine.
Pretending you’re not tired.
Pretending the noise doesn’t bother you.
Pretending you’re the one who has to hold everything together.

You don’t owe anyone a performance.

You deserve to experience your holidays as a human being — not a pressure valve.

Your Body Is the First to Know When Something Is Off

This is the heart of everything I teach:

Your body signals the truth before your mind can rationalize it.

You’re not overreacting.
You’re not “too sensitive.”
You’re not being dramatic.

Your nervous system is simply communicating — and holiday stress turns the volume up on whatever has been unaddressed.

When you learn how to listen, support, and regulate your system, everything becomes easier:

• your mood

• your digestion

• your energy

• your sleep

• your boundaries

• your ability to enjoy the moment

And that’s what this season is supposed to be about — not perfection, but presence.

If You Want Support Beyond Quick Tips

If you’re tired of feeling stressed, dysregulated, or like you can’t get ahead of your own energy, I have something that can help you create calm and clarity — without adding more to your plate.

Right now, the simplest place to start is with my
Stress Less Starter Kit Planner.

It gives you:

• a daily nervous system rhythm

• simple regulation tools

• space to plan your energy

• mindset prompts that actually shift your state

• a way to get out of your stress cycle before it spirals

You can download it here:
👉 www.abundantandaligned.com/stressless

It’s the perfect first step while I’m wrapping up the Holiday Reset Circle and preparing to open my new membership soon.

If you’re ready for a holiday season that feels calmer, clearer, and more grounded — this will help you get there.