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Three Tips to Help You Through The Holidays from a Licensed Therapist
The holidays can bring joy—and pressure. A licensed therapist shares three simple reminders to help you navigate the season with more ease: checking in with what you truly want, leaning into the parts you enjoy (and letting go of the rest), and releasing the pressure to do everything. These tips encourage self-compassion, flexibility, and presence so you can experience the holidays in a way that feels right for you.
Kiley Kidd
12/20/20252 min read
Three Tips to Help You Through The Holidays from a Licensed Therapist
1. Before committing to something, ask yourself “Is this something I want to do or something I feel obligated to do?” We often get overwhelmed with all we feel we are expected to do, we do not even ask ourselves if it is something we are enjoying. Maybe it is something you were once enjoying, and do not realize you don’t anymore, because you have not stopped and asked yourself how you feel about this thing. Give yourself permission to simplify or change if that is what feels right for you.
2. Embrace the parts you do like (if there are any.) Do you love the movies and hate the parties? Watch more movies and attend less parties. You’re not a Grinch if you do not love every single part about the holiday season. Even if you do not like any parts of them, that is okay too. You don’t have to love something everyone else around you seems to love. If you want to love the holidays, but there are parts about them that bring up some big or hard feelings for you, talk to your therapist about those feelings. That is perfectly normal.
3. Try to not pressure yourself to do everything. You don’t have to watch every Christmas movie, bake every treat, make every craft, and attend every event every single year. These things may be fun in theory, but putting pressure on ourselves to do them all may lead to stress, resentment, anger, or sadness. Perhaps you can make a list of the things you want to do for sure that bring you happiness, and then make another list of the things you would like to do if there is time. This list could change every year. This list may be a lot shorter this year than it was last year. That is okay!
Just as anything in our life often has, I recognize there are layers to our relationships with the holidays. Many of these things may be a lot easier said than done. I have observed doing what helps us be most present with ourselves and others makes for the best time and memories. Hope you enjoy whatever your holidays end up looking like this year!