Holiday Sanity: 3 Simple Practices to Stay Grounded Through the Season (part 1)

Part 1 — Be Here Now: A Present Moment Awareness Practice

The holidays are fast approaching, and whether you celebrate them or not, they’re coming. I’m not sure if it’s the commercialization of community into a shallow, capitalistic form of connection or that “end of the year” feeling that screams, I need to get EVERYTHING done before… (Before what?!). But once the music starts, the lights flicker, and people begin stockpiling wrapped boxes in their living rooms, the collective anxiety spikes.

This post kicks off a 3-part series on simple, powerful ways to stay grounded through the season. Each tool is something I use personally and share with clients — not because they sound good, but because they actually work.

Let’s start with one of my favorites: a quick sensory reset called See/Hear/Feel. It’s simple enough to use in a grocery line, at a family dinner, or while sitting in your car wondering how you got talked into hosting this year.

SEE/HEAR/FEEL — A Present Moment Awareness Practice

1. Step 1: Notice that you’re stressed. Name it.
   “I’m feeling overwhelmed.” “I’m irritated.” “I’m about to lose it.” Whatever it is, put words to it.

2. Step 2: Rate it
   1 to 10. Or, if you’re more visual, imagine your mental state as a landscape: maybe a calm ocean, or a post-apocalyptic West Texas wasteland.

3. Step 3: Without thinking too much, see 5 things.
   Look around and notice. The green of the trees, a soft texture, something alive. Just name them silently.

4. Step 4: Hear 4 things.
   Let your ears tune in — the hum of the fridge, a bird, your own breath.

5. Step 5: Feel 3 things.
   The breeze on your skin, the chair beneath you, the warmth of your hands.

Take a breath. Check in. Has your landscape changed? Did the colors soften a little? This is your nervous system recalibrating — a moment of actual presence amidst the noise.

When the holiday pressure builds, try this practice. You might be surprised how quickly your mind shifts when you stop trying to think your way calm and instead feel your way there.

If you’d like to explore more grounding tools and how to integrate them into your life, I offer a free 15 minute consult call — a short conversation to see how we might work together in therapy.
👉 Schedule here

Next up: Part 2 — The Shepherd’s Breath: A Parasympathetic Practice You Can Do in Public.

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