Every year, the holidays arrive carrying a familiar mixture of joy and pressure. Lights go up across Wyoming towns. Families begin planning their traditions. People look ahead to gatherings that bring meaning to the season. At the same time, the pace of life accelerates. Extra responsibilities appear. Budgets feel tight. Routines are disrupted. Many people find themselves moving from one obligation to the next, wondering why a season built on connection can also feel so overwhelming.

Across the country, reports show that stress reliably increases this time of year. Feelings of worry, fatigue, and mental overload grow more common as the holidays unfold (American Psychological Association, 2023). Inside the body, this pressure shows up in biological ways. Hormones like cortisol and adrenaline rise to help us manage the rush of tasks. They keep us alert when needed, but when they stay elevated for too long, they create tension, irritability, and emotional exhaustion. This is often the moment people begin saying they are running on empty.

In the middle of all this, something surprisingly simple can help shift the entire experience. Slowing the breath slows the body. Taking a deep inhale, holding briefly, and giving the exhale room to lengthen creates a physiological change that supports calm. Slow-paced breathing helps regulate the heart, lowers physical stress signals, and allows the nervous system to soften its response (Zaccaro et al., 2018). People often discover this naturally during a quiet moment in the car, or while standing outside during a family gathering, or while waiting for water to boil in the kitchen. What feels like a small pause is actually the body finding its way back to balance.

Moments like these matter more than most people realize. A few quiet breaths. A minute outside in the cold Wyoming air. The first sip of morning coffee before the rush begins. A favorite song played all the way through. Looking up at the winter sky or the mountains as they catch the morning light. These small moments work like anchors. They help interrupt the urgency and lift the heaviness that often settles during busy seasons. Positive emotion, even in tiny doses, has measurable effects on resilience and wellbeing (Fredrickson, 2016). This means that a two-minute pause is not wasted time. It is care, offered gently to the mind and body.

During the holidays, it becomes easy to move through the days on autopilot, trying to keep up. Mindfulness helps bring the experience back into focus. Mindfulness is simply paying attention to the present moment with openness instead of judgment. It can happen in the middle of the loudest gathering or in a quiet room late at night. It can happen while wrapping gifts, decorating a tree, preparing a meal, or sitting with someone you love. Even one minute of noticing what you see, hear, smell, and feel helps slow the internal pace. This kind of attention supports emotional clarity and steadier reactions during stressful situations (Keng, Smoski, and Robins, 2011).

Movement plays a similar role. Winter makes activity challenging. Cold mornings and short days limit outdoor time. Yet movement remains one of the most reliable ways to protect emotional health. Even brief physical activity releases chemicals that lift mood, support energy, and ease tension. Stretching before bed, walking indoors or outdoors, dancing while preparing a holiday meal, or doing a few simple chair movements can make the day feel lighter. Movement strengthens the connection between the mind and the body and contributes to resilience during difficult seasons (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, n.d.; New England Medical Group, 2023). A person does not need a gym or special equipment. They only need a few minutes here and there to help their body stay grounded.

Another part of protecting wellbeing during the holidays involves honoring personal limits. This can be challenging because expectations feel especially high this time of year. Many people feel pressure to say yes to every invitation, conversation, or responsibility. Yet health is maintained by rest, reflection, and the willingness to create enough space for emotional recovery. Communicating personal limits prevents burnout and allows people to show up for others with more steadiness and patience. Saying one visit needs to be shorter, choosing fewer events, or revisiting a difficult conversation after the holidays are acts of respect for oneself and the people around us. Research on self care and communication practices shows that boundaries play a central role in long term wellbeing (Sawyer et al., 2023).

Food also shapes the holiday experience in powerful ways. Meals bring families together, create tradition, and provide comfort. Yet many people struggle with guilt and pressure around eating during the holidays. A compassionate mindset helps shift the experience. Mindful eating encourages people to stay connected to hunger cues, to slow down, and to enjoy the taste and texture of food without rushing. This approach reduces emotional eating and helps people stop when they feel comfortable rather than overly full (Levoy et al., 2016). There is also evidence that mindful eating lowers reactivity to cravings by reducing the brain’s reward response to tempting foods (Janssen et al., 2023). Eating becomes more enjoyable, more balanced, and less influenced by stress. In a season centered on shared meals, this kind of awareness brings peace back into the experience.

The holidays have always carried a wide range of emotions. Some people feel excitement and hope. Others feel stress, grief, or loneliness. Many feel a combination of all of these at once. The season is not defined by how busy or perfect it becomes. It is shaped by the small habits that protect mental and physical health. Slowing the breath. Stepping outside for a minute. Paying attention to the moment in front of you. Moving whenever possible. Respecting your own limits. Eating with compassion rather than pressure. These habits give people the space to reconnect with themselves and with what the season truly means to them.

PROSPER and the Wyoming Department of Health wish everyone a happy holiday season and a Merry Christmas. We encourage every resident to care for their mind and body throughout the holidays. Even small acts of care can make the season feel calmer, more meaningful, and more connected. Support is always available, and no one has to navigate difficult moments alone.

 References

American Psychological Association. (2023). Stress in America: Mental health and well-being in the United States. https://www.apa.org 

Fredrickson, B. L. (2016). Love 2.0: How our supreme emotion affects everything we feel, think, do, and become. Plume.

Janssen, L. K., et al. (2023). The effects of an eight-week mindful eating intervention on reward responses to food cues. Frontiers in Nutrition, 10, Article 1115727. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.1115727 

Keng, S. L., Smoski, M. J., & Robins, C. J. (2011). Effects of mindfulness on psychological health. Clinical Psychology Review, 31(6), 1041–1056. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2011.04.006 

Levoy, E., et al. (2016). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and emotional eating. Mindfulness, 8(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-016-0540-8 

McEwen, B. S. (2020). Stress effects on the brain. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 41, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-neuro-080317-061820 

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (n.d.). Mind–body practices. National Institutes of Health. https://www.nccih.nih.gov 

New England Medical Group. (2023). Top 10 self-care rituals for surviving the winter season. https://www.nemg.com 

Sawyer, H. V., et al. (2023). Mindfulness strategies to implement targeted self-care. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 41(3), 249–260. https://doi.org/10.1177/08980101231165432 

Zaccaro, A., et al. (2018). How breath control can change your life: A systematic review on psychophysiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, Article 353. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353