5 Ways to Cope with Christmas Overwhelm (That Actually Work)
It's beginning to look a lot like... chaos.
If you're already feeling the weight of Christmas expectations—the perfect dinner, the thoughtful gifts, keeping everyone happy—you're not alone. December can feel like a month-long performance where you're supposed to be joyful, organised, and endlessly giving.
But here's the truth: you can't pour from an empty cup. And right now, your cup might be bone dry.
As a women's health yoga teacher and Reiki practitioner in Sonning Common, Oxfordshire, I work with women who are exhausted, overwhelmed, and desperately need tools that actually help. Not another bubble bath suggestion (though those are lovely), but real, embodied practices you can use in the moment.
Here are five practical ways to ground yourself this Christmas—using breathwork, gentle movement, acupressure, and affirmations that support your nervous system.
1. The 4-6 (or 4-8) Breath: Your Instant Calm Button
When you're feeling panicked in the supermarket queue or anxious before a family gathering, this simple breathing technique activates your vagus nerve—the main highway of your parasympathetic nervous system that switches your body into rest-and-digest mode.
How to do it:
Breathe in through your nose for a count of 4
Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 6 or 8 (whichever feels comfortable)
Keep your jaw soft and relaxed as you exhale
Repeat 3-4 times
Why it works: The extended exhale stimulates your vagus nerve, which directly signals to your brain that you're safe. This lowers cortisol, slows your heart rate, and eases anxiety within minutes.
Affirmation to pair with it: "I am safe."
Do this before responding to a demanding text, before walking into a stressful situation, or whenever you notice your shoulders creeping up towards your ears.
2. Child's Pose: Permission to Rest
Child’s Pose with a Bolster
This restorative yoga pose is like a gentle hug for your nervous system. It's perfect for when you need five minutes away from everyone and everything.
How to do it:
Kneel on the floor (or your bed) with your knees wide and big toes touching
Fold forward, resting your forehead on the ground or a cushion
Arms can stretch forward or rest alongside your body
Stay for 2-5 minutes, breathing deeply into your back body
Why it works: This forward fold calms the nervous system, releases tension in the lower back (where we hold stress), and gives you a moment of inward focus.
Affirmation whilst in the pose: "It is safe for me to rest. My worth is not measured by my productivity."
If you have knee issues, try sitting on a chair and folding forward over a cushion on your lap instead.
3. Acupressure Point: Yin Tang (Third Eye Point)
Acupressure point for instant calm
This powerful acupressure point between your eyebrows is especially beneficial for women, as it calms the mind, relieves anxiety, and helps regulate hormones—particularly helpful during perimenopause and menopause when stress can trigger hot flushes and emotional overwhelm.
How to find it:
Locate the point directly between your eyebrows, in the indent where the bridge of your nose meets your forehead
Using your middle finger or thumb, apply gentle, circular pressure
Press for 1-2 minutes whilst breathing slowly and deeply
Why it works for women: Yin Tang is known in Traditional Chinese Medicine as the point that "calms the spirit" and regulates the endocrine system. It's particularly effective for hormonal anxiety, racing thoughts, insomnia, and the emotional intensity many women experience during hormonal fluctuations. It also helps relieve tension headaches and sinus pressure—common complaints during stressful periods.
Affirmation whilst pressing: "I release what I cannot control. I trust myself to handle what comes."
You can do this discreetly anywhere—during a conversation, in the car, even whilst cooking.
4. Legs Up the Wall: The 10-Minute Reset
Legs Up the Wall - Vipareeta Karani
When you're absolutely shattered and need to restore your energy quickly, this gentle inversion is gold. It improves circulation, reduces swelling in legs and feet (hello, hours of standing in the kitchen), and calms an overstimulated mind.
How to do it:
Lie on your back with your hips close to a wall
Swing your legs up so they rest against the wall
Arms rest by your sides, palms facing up
Close your eyes and breathe naturally for 5-10 minutes
Why it works: This pose reverses the effects of gravity, reduces fluid retention, and shifts your nervous system into rest-and-digest mode.
Affirmation for this practice: "I am allowed to do nothing. Rest is productive. I am worthy of ease."
Do this before bed, when you get home from shopping, or whenever you need a complete reset.
5. Mindful Movement: The Three-Minute Body Scan
When stress lives in your body—tight jaw, tense shoulders, clenched fists—this quick practice helps you release it before it becomes pain or exhaustion.
How to do it:
Stand or sit comfortably
Take three deep breaths
Scan from the crown of your head down to your toes, noticing where you're holding tension
As you notice each area, breathe into it and consciously soften:
Jaw: Let it drop open slightly
Shoulders: Roll them back and down
Hands: Uncurl your fists, shake them out
Belly: Let it be soft, release any holding
Feet: Press them into the ground, feel supported
Why it works: We often don't realise how much tension we're carrying until we check in. This practice interrupts the stress cycle and brings you back into your body.
Affirmation to close: "I release tension."
Set a reminder on your phone to do this three times a day—morning, midday, and evening.
When You Need More Support
These practices are powerful tools you can use anywhere, anytime. But if you're feeling like you need deeper support—something more than you can give yourself—that's not weakness. That's wisdom.
As a Reiki Master and women's yoga teacher, I offer:
1-2-1 Reiki Sessions for stress relief, hormonal balance, and emotional release
Well Woman On-Demand Yoga Library with videos designed specifically for women's bodies and nervous systems—practice at home, at your own pace
Private Yoga Sessions tailored to your needs, whether that's anxiety support, pelvic health, or gentle strength-building
I practise from my peaceful space in Sonning Common, Oxfordshire, and also offer online sessions for women who need support from home.
If December feels like too much, you don't have to white-knuckle your way through it. Let me help you find your calm again.
A Final Reminder
Christmas overwhelm is real. The pressure to be everything to everyone is exhausting. And no amount of festive cheer will make that magically disappear.
But you have more power than you think. Five minutes of conscious breathing. Two minutes in Child's Pose. A gentle press on an acupressure point.
These aren't just "nice ideas"—they're nervous system tools that actually work.
You don't need to be superwoman this Christmas. You just need to be you, breathing, present, and taking care of yourself one moment at a time.
Rebecca Dobson
Women's Healing Mentor | Reiki Master | Yoga Teacher
Sonning Common, Oxfordshire
Rebecca@getcalmer.com
www.getcalmer.com
Supporting women's health through Reiki, yoga, and holistic therapies in Oxfordshire.
