December asks more from your body than you think. Here’s how to support it.
It’s the middle of December. Your mornings feel compressed, your evenings stretched. You’re moving faster, thinking harder, sleeping lighter.
That’s because your nervous system quietly slips into what I call Holiday Mode.
It’s not anxiety or burnout; it’s simple over-stimulation. More lights, more noises, more plans, more decisions. Your brain treats it all as constant incoming information and your body is reacting.
Here’s the part most people miss: You don’t need a new routine. You just need to support the one system that’s doing all the heavy lifting.
Below are the 5 immediate tricks that help your nervous system return to baseline, not next month, but today.
1. Master the 90-Second Morning Anchor
Your nervous system calibrates to the first light and breath patterns it receives. A calm first signal leads to a calmer system all day.
Trick: Before coffee, email, or conversation, stand near a window. Inhale for 4 seconds, exhale for 6, repeat 10 times. Let daylight hit your eyes to calibrate your system.
Why it works: This isn't meditation; it's physiology. This breath pattern is a fast track to signaling safety to your system.
2. Close the Sensory Loop Mid-Day
Your system collects stimulation all day. If you don't release it, it stacks.
Trick: To quickly signal safety and close the sensory loop, try one of these: lying flat on the floor for two minutes, or warming your hands under running water for 30 seconds.
Why it works: These small, conscious movements signal, "You’re safe. You can come down from alert mode." You’ll feel your shoulders drop and your mind slow within minutes.
3. Set One Non-Negotiable Boundary
December becomes chaotic when everything is optional. The nervous system thrives on predictability and conscious choice.
Trick: Protect a consistent 10-minute walk, a tech-free shower, or a proper seated lunch. And before the second dessert or extra scroll, ask yourself: "Do I actually want this stimulation right now?"
Why it works: This single fixed point restores rhythm. Conscious choice keeps your nervous system steady and prevents accidental overstimulation.
4. Eat Something Warm in the Afternoon
Use food to engage your "rest and digest" system during peak stress hours.
Trick: Don't eat anything big or sugary. Just consume something warm around 2–3 PM. Examples include miso broth, a warm apple with cinnamon, or herbal tea paired with a small protein snack.
Why it works: Warm food engages the parasympathetic system, which quietly offsets the overstimulation December brings. It’s one of the quickest pathways to grounding your body.
5. Take Magnesium at Night for Reset
Give your nervous system the mineral it burns through most during the holidays.
Trick: Choose Magnesium glycinate or magnesium citrate (gentle, well-absorbed) and take it with warm water or chamomile tea.
Why it works: You’re not trying to knock yourself out; you’re supporting the physical systems that regulate muscle tension, tight breathing, and late-evening restlessness. You are restoring what your nervous system used to have on its own.
