Finding Mind-Body-Spirit Balance During the Holidays: A Holistic Perspective from a Therapist in Denver
Why the Holidays Feel Heavy (Even When They’re Meant to Be Joyful)
The holidays are rarely just about the joy, connection, and magic we see in the media. Alongside those pleasant experiences often comes the expectation to do more: consume more, create more, decorate more, cook more. At the same time, nature is slowing down. Shorter days. Colder air. Animals resting. This seasonal mismatch can create stress, tension, guilt, and overwhelm.
As a holistic therapist in Denver, I often remind clients that this time of year pulls us in opposite directions. So, it makes sense that you may be noticing tension in your mind, body, and spirit.
A Holistic Worldview: Mind, Body & Spirit as One System
What does it mean to have a “holistic” worldview? Simply put, it’s a perspective that honors cognitive, emotional, physical, relational, and spiritual experiences. It considers the whole system: how we perceive, process, and experience life as complete human beings.
A holistic approach especially helps explain the mismatch between our “inner winter”—the natural slowing our bodies crave—and the outward cultural expectations of the season. We feel the tension in all parts of ourselves.
How the Holiday Season Impacts All Parts of Us
Even if we aren’t fully aware of it, the holiday season pulls on our mind, body, and spirit. As a holistic therapist in Denver, I see how this seasonal tension shows up simultaneously across all areas. Take a moment to reflect on your own experience as we explore each part:
Mind
What expectations have you placed on yourself this holiday season?
Is there pressure to make things “special” or “perfect”?
Are you juggling plans, creating experiences, or maintaining peace in your family?
Body
When you tune in to your body, what sensations arise during this season?
Headaches? Overstimulation? Chronic fatigue? Nervous system overwhelm?
How is your body experiencing its natural internal winter?
Spirit
What do your deeper parts crave right now? Meaning? Slowness? Rest?
Are you going through the motions, or allowing yourself to be present with the holidays?
If expectations didn’t exist, how would you like this season to unfold?
Holistic Practices for the Mind
Mindfulness: Notice when you begin to feel mental overstimulation. Pausing for one slow breath. And then another if it feels supportive.
Creative practice: Set a timer for 5 minutes. Make repetitive marks on the page that mimick your racing mind or thoughts.
Reframing expectations: Become aware of the parts of you that feel responsible or pressured. Reassure then that you are taking care of things, and that not everything has to be done up to their expectations.
Somatic Practices That Honor Winter While Supporting Holiday Stress
Nervous system reset: Take a moment to lay on the floor. Notice how it feels to be held and supported by the ground.
Restorative movement: Starting with your feet, begin to bounce up and down while standing. Then begin shaking your legs, arms, and shoulders to release energy.
Nature-based grounding: Get bundled up and go on a winter walk. Notice the quiet stillness of nature and connect to the slower rhythm outside.
Spirit-Nourishing Holiday Practices
Micro-rituals: Create a holiday ritual for yourself to stay connected with spirit—have dinner by candlelight, start a gratitude art journal, or state an affirmation to yourself in the mirror each morning.
Choosing meaning: Identifying 1–2 meaningful seasonal values that are important to you. Then, act in accordance with those values and use them as your guiding light throughout the season.
Creative ceremony: Make a holiday decoration or gift by hand (because you enjoy the act of creating). Notice how it feels to be in relationship with your creativity.
Integrating Mind–Body–Spirit Practices Into a Season That Demands More
The holidays can feel like an internal tug-of-war. Winter invites us to slow down, yet the season asks us to do more: plan, create, connect, and show up for everyone else.
Honoring the season, not the pressure, means remembering that resting is natural and nurturing during the winter months. You can make it simple: take a few mindful breaths before tasks, spend 5–10 minutes stretching or grounding your body, and create one small ritual that reconnects you to what matters. Ask yourself, “Which parts of me need rest, even when everything around me is speeding up?”
When Support Might Help
If overwhelm starts to feel too heavy or like persistent dread, irritability, or exhaustion, it’s okay to reach out for more support.
If you’re looking for a holistic therapist in Denver who takes a holistic approach, I support women and moms who want to feel grounded, connected, and more like themselves again.
You don’t have to choose between slowing down and showing up; you can do both, even during the hustle bustle of the holiday season.
