How to Manage Holiday Stress Without Losing Yourself – By Dr. Maya Sarkisyan, DOM
The holiday season brings a familiar kind of energy—one that builds long before the celebrations begin. You may feel it as a tightening in your chest, a mental checklist that keeps growing, or a quiet pressure to show up in ways that no longer feel aligned. Many people interpret this as “holiday stress,” but the truth is something simpler: stress isn’t created by the season. It appears when we drift away from the habits and grounding practices that keep us balanced.
Holidays are built around rituals, and rituals are essentially habits infused with meaning. We inherit them from our families, our communities, our cultures, and the younger versions of ourselves. But rituals are not permanent. They evolve because we evolve.
A ritual that once felt comforting may feel draining now.
That’s not a failure of tradition—it’s a sign of growth.
You’re allowed to create a holiday that reflects the person you’ve become.
Why Holiday Stress Spikes
From a holistic and functional medicine perspective, several factors converge during this time of year:
1. Emotional Intensity Increases
Gatherings often stir unresolved feelings, old family patterns, or unspoken expectations. Emotional load alone can elevate cortisol, disrupt digestion, and heighten sensitivity.
2. Food and Alcohol Change Your Physiology
Holiday meals tend to be richer, sweeter, and more irregular. This can lead to blood sugar instability, inflammation, bloating, and reactive moods. When you add alcohol or late-night eating, the digestive system becomes even more vulnerable.
3. Travel and Disrupted Sleep Reduce Resilience
Changes in routine, environments, time zones, and sleep patterns weaken the nervous system’s capacity to regulate.
4. Old Emotional Patterns Get Triggered
The emotional memory of past holidays, especially difficult ones, can re-emerge quickly and shift your body chemistry within minutes.
Put these together, and the body naturally shifts into a sympathetic survival state—hypervigilant, reactive, and easily overwhelmed.
But there is a strategic way to navigate this season without losing your center.
A Strategic Way to Approach the Season
This is the perfect moment to examine and update the habits and rituals you want to carry with you—not out of obligation, but out of alignment.
1. Start Your Morning With a Reset
If you begin the day in reactivity, the rest of the day follows that pattern. A simple 5-minute morning reset helps your nervous system find its anchor:
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Slow, steady breathing
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Gentle stretching
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A quiet intention for how you want to feel
These small beginnings create surprising steadiness.
2. Stabilize Your Blood Sugar
Your gut, hormones, and mood depend on blood sugar stability. One evidence-based rule supports your entire day:
Eat protein first, plants second.
This simple sequence:
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Smooths hunger signals
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Reduces cravings
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Stabilizes mood
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Supports digestion
When your blood sugar is steady, your emotional resilience increases.
3. Use a Quick Emotional Regulation Tool
You can bring your body out of a stress response in under 60 seconds.
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Soften your gaze
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Name the emotion you’re feeling
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Place your awareness on your feet
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Exhale slowly and steadily
Your body responds immediately when you signal safety.
4. Honor Your Boundaries
You are not responsible for maintaining the emotional temperature of every room you walk into. Boundaries are deeply physiological—they protect your energy and regulate your nervous system.
Simple, clear boundaries work best:
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“I’m not available for that conversation.”
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“I can only stay for a little while.”
When you honor your limits, you make space for balance.
5. Create One New Ritual That Supports You
Rituals evolve because you evolve. Choose one supportive practice to anchor your season:
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A calming tea ritual at night
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A short walk before gatherings
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Five minutes of silence before bed
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A limit on how many events you attend
Small changes shape the entire season.
The Deeper Invitation
Holidays often reveal how integrated—or disintegrated—we feel on the inside. If you notice patterns of fatigue, irritability, digestive discomfort, or emotional overwhelm, consider them signals from your body requesting alignment, not failures of willpower.
You do not have to push through the season.
You can move through it from a place of steadiness and clarity.
If your digestion, hormones, or stress levels tend to worsen during the holidays, I can help you create a personalized plan to navigate this season with more balance and ease.
Check Out My Fall Detox Program
If You Need Support
If you want deeper help regulating your nervous system, supporting your digestion, or balancing your hormones during the holiday season, I’m here. You don’t have to navigate this time alone.
Check Out My Emotional Detox Blueprint
Take Your Next Step
You don’t have to wait until January to feel better.
If your body has been whispering—or shouting—for attention, this is a powerful time to respond.
Or, if you’re unsure whether this is the right fit, you’re welcome to schedule a brief consultation to discuss your symptoms, goals, and next best step.
Dr. Maya Sarkisyan
Stay tuned and discover “The True Story About Your Health”.
