Prioritizing Mental Wellness During the Holidays: How Women Can Stress Less and Enter the New Year Empowered
- Dr. Shakeena Speller
- Dec 15, 2025
- 4 min read
The holiday season is commonly recognized as a time of joy, celebration, and connection. Yet for many, it can also bring increased stress, emotional pressure, and a sense of overwhelm. Research from the American Psychological Association shows that nearly 38% of people report heightened stress during the holidays, with women carrying a large share of emotional labor, family expectations, and household responsibilities.
Whether you are navigating financial strain, family dynamics, grief, burnout, or simply the pressure to “make the holidays perfect,” your emotional well-being matters. As the year draws to a close, this is the ideal time to slow down, reassess your needs, and set intentions for a healthier, more empowered new year.
Understanding Holiday Stress and Anxiety
Many women experience increased anxiety, sadness, or overwhelm during the holidays due to:
• Financial pressures
• Increased caregiving responsibilities
• Family expectations and emotional dynamics
• Social comparison, especially via social media• Grief or memories of loved ones
• The nonstop pace of parties, planning, and preparing
Activities that seem small—cooking, decorating, shopping, managing schedules—can become emotionally exhausting when added to preexisting stress. Recognizing these triggers is the first step toward taking back control of your emotional wellness.
You are not alone in these feelings. Reaching out for support—whether through loved ones, online groups, or professional counseling—can be grounding and transformative.
Practical Strategies to Manage Holiday Stress
1. Create a Balanced and Realistic Schedule
Trying to do everything can quickly lead to burnout. Build a holiday schedule that includes both responsibilities and recovery time. Prioritize what truly matters and release tasks that don’t align with your values.
Tip: Make a list of “Must Do,” “Can Do,” and “Let Go”—and stick to it.
2. Practice Mindfulness and Meditation
Even a few minutes of mindfulness each day can reduce anxiety, improve emotional regulation, and help restore clarity. Whether through simple deep breathing, guided meditations, or apps like Calm and Headspace, mindfulness can anchor you during chaotic moments.
3. Set Realistic Expectations
Many women aim for a “perfect holiday,” but unrealistic expectations only fuel stress. Instead, embrace connection, meaning, and presence over performance and perfection.
Reminder: Your worth is not measured by decorations, gifts, meals, or appearances.
4. Limit Social Media Exposure
Social platforms often amplify comparison—especially during the holidays. If scrolling triggers self-doubt, consider taking a digital break or curating your feed to highlight uplifting, realistic content.
5. Reach Out for Emotional Support
Connection is essential for mental wellness. Whether you talk with a trusted friend, attend community events, or seek professional therapy, sharing your emotions reduces isolation and increases resilience.
Rise Up Counseling & Consulting PLLC provides virtual counseling and coaching services that help women navigate stress, anxiety, trauma, relationship challenges, and overwhelm from the comfort of home.
The Importance of Community Support
Community can be deeply healing during stressful seasons. A sense of belonging helps reduce anxiety, increase motivation, and strengthen emotional resilience.
Ways to cultivate community during the holidays:
• Attend local events or wellness workshops
• Join or create an online support group
• Volunteer to shift your focus outward and experience fulfillment
• Engage in group programs designed to uplift and empower women
Connection is a protective factor. You do not have to navigate the holidays alone.
Empowering Yourself for the New Year
The transition into a new year is a powerful opportunity for self-reflection, clarity, and personal growth.
Reflect on the Past Year
Spend time journaling about your achievements, challenges, and lessons. This can help you gain closure and acknowledge how resilient you truly are.
Set Positive Intentions Instead of Rigid Resolutions
Intentions create direction without pressure. For example:
• Instead of “I must lose weight,” try “I will prioritize healthy choices that support my well-being.”
• Instead of “I need to fix everything,” try “I will move with grace and self-compassion.”
Focus on Self-Care and Personal Growth
As you plan for the year ahead, integrate practices that nourish your mind, body, and spirit:
• Schedule regular therapy or coaching
• Establish a simple wellness routine
• Engage in activities that bring fulfillment
• Read empowering books or enroll in personal development courses
Build Positive Habits That Create Lasting Change
Small steps lead to meaningful transformation. Consider habits such as:
• A daily gratitude practice
• Morning or evening grounding rituals
• Reducing exposure to negativity
• A consistent weekly planning routine.
Join Programs That Support Your Transformation
The G.L.O.W. Empowerment Program
Rise Up Counseling’s G.L.O.W. (Grow, Love, Overcome, Win) group coaching program guides women through increasing emotional resilience, rebuilding confidence, releasing internal blocks, and stepping into empowered identity.
This program offers:
• Guided self-reflection
• Mindset development
• Confidence-building strategies
• A supportive community of women growing together
It is an ideal foundation for entering the new year with clarity, confidence, and courage.
How Rise Up Counseling & Consulting Supports Your Journey
Our virtual counseling services help women navigate:
• Anxiety and depression
• Trauma and emotional overwhelm
• Relationship stress
• Life transitions
• Grief and loss
• Confidence and identity struggles
• Co-occurring mental health and substance use concerns
We provide a safe, confidential, and compassionate space to help you process emotions, build coping strategies, and strengthen your inner resilience.
Embracing the Journey Forward
As we approach the new year, it's crucial to embrace the journey that lies ahead. Acknowledging the mental strain that can accompany the holidays is the first step towards fostering mental wellness. By utilizing effective coping strategies and harnessing support services like those offered by Rise Up Counseling & Consulting PLLC, women can navigate the challenges of the season with grace and resilience.
Set your intentions for this upcoming year thoughtfully, and don’t shy away from seeking help when needed. You have the strength to make meaningful changes in your life, and the support from community programs like the G.L.O.W. Empowerment Program can provide the motivation and resources you need.
By prioritizing your mental health, you send a powerful message to yourself and those around you that self-care is essential. Here’s to a mindful holiday season and an empowering new year ahead!
Until Next time, continue to Rise Up & G.L.O.W. (Grow, Love, Overcome and Win)
From your G.E.M. (GLOW Empowerment Mentor)
Dr. Shakeena Speller
