Your Feelings Are Valid This Season: Evidence-Based Strategies for Emotional Wellness During the Holidays

As the holiday season unfolds, many expect joy, closeness, and celebration. Yet for countless individuals, December brings emotional weight—grief, loneliness, anxiety, overstimulation, or burnout. These responses are not abnormal; they are human.

The CDC reminds us that decreased sunlight can disrupt your internal clock and lower serotonin levels—key contributors to seasonal mood shifts. Combine that with holiday demands, financial pressure, family expectations, and social comparison, and it’s clear why December may feel overwhelming.

If you’re navigating emotional heaviness, remember:

“Your emotions don’t need permission—honor what you feel, especially in seasons that feel heavy.” — Dr. Sharon J. Lawrence

You are not required to perform happiness. You are allowed to honor your truth.

🧠 What’s Happening Emotionally During This Season?

1. Increased Stress Load

Holiday travel, financial obligations, emotional labor, and social commitments create a higher cognitive load.

2. Heightened Grief Activation

Anniversaries, empty seats, and unmet expectations can trigger grief—even years after a loss.

3. Expectation vs. Reality Disruption

Internal or familial expectations may not align with your capacity or emotional bandwidth.

4. Comparison Culture

Social media amplifies pressure to appear joyful or accomplished, even when you're struggling.

Recognizing these triggers is often the first step toward compassionate self-support.

💛 Evidence-Based Strategies for Emotional Wellness This December

Here are tools grounded in mental health research, mindfulness, and cognitive-behavioral approaches that can support your emotional well-being.

1. Set Boundaries That Honor Your Capacity

Boundaries reduce emotional overwhelm and prevent burnout.
Use these scripts:

• “I won’t be able to attend, but thank you for thinking of me.”
• “I can stay for an hour, but then I’ll need to leave.”
• “This year, I’m honoring quieter traditions.”

Boundaries are not rejection—they are protection.

2. Use the “Name It to Tame It” Technique (CBT/Neuroscience)

Labeling your emotions reduces amygdala activation and helps restore emotional regulation.

Try saying:
“I feel sadness right now.”
“I feel anxious about ___.”
“I feel overstimulated and need a break.”

Awareness is the beginning of alignment.

3. Maintain a Nourishing Routine

Structure supports mood stabilization. Incorporate:
• Regular meals
• Adequate hydration
• Movement
• Consistent sleep
• Check-ins with trusted support systems

Small rhythms make big impact.

4. Limit Overexposure to Stressors (Digital & Environmental)

If scrolling increases anxiety, comparison, or pressure, set a healthy limit.
Reduce noise and overstimulation by:

• Taking breaks from crowded environments
• Turning off notifications
• Choosing intentional downtime

Your nervous system deserves rest.

5. Practice “Opposite Action” for Low Mood (DBT Principle)

If you feel like withdrawing, consider gently doing the opposite—engaging in a small activity that aligns with your values.

Examples:
• Taking a short walk
• Calling a friend
• Sitting in a sunlit area
• Listening to uplifting music

This method helps disrupt depressive patterns without forcing yourself beyond emotional capacity.

6. Build a Supportive Emotional Plan

Identify:
• A safe person you can call
• A prepared grounding strategy (breathing exercises, counting techniques, sensory grounding)
• A realistic schedule
• A list of things that nourish your spirit

This plan becomes your emotional anchor during difficult moments.

7. Seek Professional Support When Needed

Therapy provides a safe, private space to process emotions, regulate stress, honor grief, and learn coping tools that fit your life.

You don’t have to navigate this season alone.

✨ Your Feelings Are Valid — and Support Is Available

Your emotional well-being does not need to be postponed until January. You are allowed to care for yourself now. You deserve softness, groundedness, and support throughout this season.

If you’re ready to explore strategies to strengthen your emotional wellness:

💛 Book a consultation or therapy session:
👉 www.myselahwellness.com/contact

Stay connected for weekly support, tools, and insight:
📌 Instagram: @myselahwellness
📌 LinkedIn: Dr. Sharon J. Lawrence

You are not alone. You are not “too much.” You are not behind.
Your feelings are valid. Your healing matters.