Holiday anxiety coping strategies: a faith-rooted mental health plan for tired hearts
- Written With Love by Lolli
- Dec 22, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Jan 6
Holiday Anxiety Coping Strategies that Calm Your Nervous System, Protect Your Peace, and Help You Stay Rooted in Faith—Without Forcing “Perfect Holiday Joy”
Holiday anxiety coping strategies are small, practical steps that reduce overwhelm during the holiday season. These include lowering unrealistic expectations, planning recovery breaks, setting gentle boundaries, and using nervous-system calming tools like breath and grounding techniques. These strategies help your mind settle and make your faith feel reachable again.
If You’re Already Overwhelmed, Start Here (60 Seconds)
Put one hand over your chest and breathe like this: Inhale 4… Exhale 6… (three rounds).
Now whisper: “Jesus, be near.” “I am safe enough right now.” “I will do the next right thing—only the next one.”
That’s a reset. That counts.
Why the Holidays Can Spike Anxiety (And It’s Not a Personal Failure)
If you dread the holidays while everyone else seems excited, you’re not “ungrateful.” You’re human. The holiday season stacks stressors—often all at once:
Financial pressure
Travel and schedule overload
Family dynamics and old triggers
Grief and missing loved ones
Sensory overload (noise, crowds, parties, constant input)
Pressure to perform happiness
Being in the healthcare field for over 25 years, I’ve seen how anxiety often shows up in the body first. Symptoms can include a tight chest, stomach flipping, jaw clenching, restless sleep, racing thoughts, and irritability. Sometimes the most loving first step isn’t to “think your way out.” It’s to calm your body enough to come back to steady.
And friend—faith and mental health can work together beautifully. Sometimes, the most spiritual thing you can do is a nervous-system reset that helps you receive peace.
In Lolli Love, we don’t chase “perfect.” We practice gentle. We choose steady. We take small steps that protect the life God gave us. Here’s the plan I teach when the season feels too loud:
Holiday Anxiety Coping Strategies: The 7-Part Gentle Plan
1) Lower the Bar on Purpose (Yes, on Purpose).
Perfectionism fuels anxiety. Try this sentence: “A peaceful holiday is more important than a perfect holiday.”
Pick your top 3 priorities and release the rest:
Priority 1: ____________________
Priority 2: ____________________
Priority 3: ____________________
Everything else becomes “optional.”
2) Build Recovery into Your Calendar Like It Matters (Because It Does).
Anxiety rises when your nervous system never gets a break. Add “recovery blocks” like appointments:
10 minutes after errands
30 minutes after gatherings
15 minutes before bed (no scrolling)
Recovery is not laziness. It’s stewardship.
3) Use a Simple Nervous-System Reset Before You Respond to Stress.
When anxiety spikes, your brain wants urgency. Your body needs safety. Try this “3-2-1 Reset” anywhere:
3 slow exhales (longer out than in)
2 things you can feel (feet on the floor, hands on fabric)
1 sentence prayer: “Jesus, keep me steady.”
Do this before you text back, decide, explain, or defend.
4) Set One Boundary That Protects Your Peace (Without Over-Explaining).
If you’ve been a helper your whole life, boundaries can feel like guilt at first. That doesn’t mean they’re wrong. Use one of these scripts as-is:
“I can’t commit to that this week.”
“That doesn’t work for me, but I hope it goes well.”
“I’m keeping it simple this year.”
“We can stay for an hour.”
“I’m not available for that conversation today.”
A boundary is not rejection. It’s protection.
5) Watch for the “Holiday Anxiety Loop” and Name It.
Anxiety loves loops: replaying conversations, predicting worst-case scenarios, scanning for what might go wrong. When you notice the loop, name it gently: “This is my anxiety trying to keep me safe.” Then redirect to something true: “Right now, I am here. And God is with me.”
6) Support Your Body the Way You’d Support Someone You Love.
Simple physical supports reduce anxiety’s intensity:
Protein + water before events
Sunlight in the morning (even 2 minutes)
Gentle movement (walk, stretch)
Caffeine boundaries (especially after noon)
Bedtime wind-down (same time, same steps)
No shame. Just support.
7) Make Space for Grief and Joy to Coexist.
Some holidays are tender because love is real and loss is real. You’re allowed to feel both. Try this sentence: “I can carry love and sadness at the same time—and still be held by God.”
When your mind is too loud for long prayers, borrow breath prayers. They are short, repeatable, and powerful when you’re overwhelmed.
Breath Prayers (Choose One and Repeat for 60 Seconds)
Inhale: Jesus, be near. Exhale: I am not alone.
Inhale: God of peace… Exhale: settle my heart.
Inhale: Carry me. Exhale: strengthen me.
Inhale: Give me wisdom. Exhale: give me courage.
Scripture Anchors (KJV)
Philippians 4:6–7: "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Matthew 11:28–30: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Psalm 34:18: "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; And saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."
Isaiah 41:10: "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."
This is what I’ve learned over the years: peace is not always a feeling first. Sometimes peace begins as a practice.
If family gatherings activate old wounds, your nervous system may move into survival responses (fight, flight, freeze, fawn). That’s not a character flaw—it’s protection. Here are gentle modifications:
Sit near an exit or choose your own transportation.
Plan a “recovery break” in the bathroom or outside.
Set a time limit before you arrive.
Bring a supportive person if possible.
Choose one safe topic and stick to it.
Give yourself permission to leave early without apology.
You don’t have to earn safety. You’re allowed to choose it.
A Simple “Holiday Peace Plan” You Can Copy Today
Write this down and keep it on your phone:
My Holiday Peace Plan:
My ______________________________
My one boundary: __________________________________
My recovery blocks: ________________________________
My breath prayer: __________________________________
My exit plan (if triggered): _________________________
My next right step when overwhelmed: ________________
That is a mental health plan. That is wisdom.
Holiday anxiety can be common, but you deserve real support—especially if anxiety is affecting sleep, appetite, relationships, or your ability to function most days. Reach out to a licensed professional if you notice:
Frequent panic symptoms
Persistent depression or numbness
Increased substance use to cope
Ongoing intrusive thoughts or trauma symptoms
Feeling unsafe or having thoughts of self-harm (seek urgent help immediately)
Remember this: getting help is not weakness. It’s care.
What are the best holiday anxiety coping strategies?
Start with three: lower expectations, schedule recovery breaks, and use a nervous-system reset (longer exhales + grounding) before responding to stress.
Why do I get anxious during the holidays?
Common triggers include financial pressure, time demands, family dynamics, grief, overstimulation, and unrealistic expectations.
How do I handle holiday anxiety around family?
Use time limits, prepare a boundary script, plan recovery breaks, and give yourself permission to leave early if you feel activated.
Can faith help with holiday anxiety?
Yes. Breath prayers, Scripture anchors, and honest prayer can support your mind and body—especially when paired with practical mental health tools.
Closing Encouragement
Tired heart, you do not have to perform your way into peace. You can choose gentle. You can choose steady. You can choose a simpler holiday that protects your mental health and honors your faith. If you only do one thing today, let it be this: a slower exhale and an honest prayer.
"💗 With love and grace,
Jennifer Nicole Green, NP-C
Founder of Lolli Love — Faith-rooted, trauma-informed well-being for tired hearts."
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