I often think it’s a mis-nomer the Christmas Holidays
Yes, there may be no school run, work commute, or usual commitments (unless you’re on shift work — and that’s a whole other story). And yet, for many of us, this season is anything but restful.
Mid‑winter is, by nature, a time for hibernation. A time for energy to draw inward. A season that invites us to do less and be more.
In the natural world, hibernation is a period of deep rest and restoration — what we might recognise in nervous‑system language as dorsal vagal rest and restore, occurring within an environment of safety.
Our modern lives, however, don’t always allow us to align with the gifts of the turning year.
In our house, mid‑winter includes the end‑of‑term rush, birthdays, inevitable travel (now overseas), and a web of family obligations. While there is much I wholeheartedly enjoy — watching old films together, playing the hysterical Christmas board game, carol singing, cake decorating, and late‑night present wrapping — it is still a season that requires a great deal of coordination and energy.
Having said all that, I am deeply appreciative of my privilege to take time off, of having the resources and freedom to visit far‑flung family. We live in a world where the freedom to enjoy these simple, seasonal rituals are not available to many.
This blog is about naming simple somatic resources — readily available to us — so that you can support your nervous system during times of intense organisation, travel, and family reunions.
Why the Christmas ‘Break’ Can Deplete our Nervous System
I know I’m not alone when I say that what truly tires me is not just one thing, but the accumulation of many:
Travelling. House cleaning. Packing. Special meal planning. Shopping and cooking. Remembering. Transport logistics. And being with lots of people — often all the time.
And without even mentioning how, for some of us, returning to old family dynamics can quickly activate familiar patterns of fight, flight, or fawn within the nervous system.
It all requires focus, clarity, efficient communication, and the ability for social attunement — being ‘a good guest’, staying regulated, staying polite.
Meanwhile, my body (and my menopause brain) is calling for something quite different.
A period of non‑doing. Lying on the sofa staring into the fire. Mountain rambles. Letting go of precision organisation. Allowing attention to soften into awareness —something that is soft broad and without expectation.
The inherent quality of Hibernation is inactivity. It’s about letting ourselves off the hook. Moving at a slower pace. Noticing the deeper rhythm of the season and responding to it. Its function is to offer our creature-body a period of recharging with this deeper rest.
Somatic Resourcing for Mid‑Winter: A Practical Guide
Below is a simple somatic resourcing menu for mid‑winter and Christmas. These practices are designed to support nervous‑system regulation while you remain engaged with family or social obligations.
You can dip into any of them for one minute or ten.
Slow It Down
Invite slowness — consciously.
Say the word out loud: S L O W L Y.
Get up more slowly. Transition more slowly. Let your movements reflect the season.
Staying Grounded Through the Feet
Brush your feet along the carpet or rug.
Spend a few minutes sensing different surfaces under the soles, sides, and fronts of your feet. Experiment with different speeds and textures.
This kind of sensory awakening, helps us to literally sense ourselves in the here and now and supports grounding through the body.
Marvel & Wonder: Let the Nervous System Soften
Notice Christmas lights — on the tree, in the street, in a shop window.
Find some that really lights you up on the inside … and revel in the simple experience of light in the darkness
Breath as a Resource
Notice your breath.
Air comes in. A pause.
Air goes out. A pause.
No technique. No control. Just noticing which part of the breathing cycle feels most helpful to attend to.
Somatic Resourcing Through the Back Body
This section is a little more in‑depth. Again, you can explore any of these for one minute or ten.
With so much forward movement — planning, travelling, organising, transitioning — it’s easy to live slightly in front of ourselves. Very front‑body and left‑brain.
So our work is to remember:
We have a whole back.
The back body is broad, solid, and reliable. The back body doesn’t rush. It doesn’t over‑react. It has time to respond.
First, simply notice that you have a back.
Place your back against a wall, chair, or tree. Lean or press into the support.
Waking Up the Back Body
Use a towel or blanket to rub your back body vigorously — through clothes and directly on skin. Wake up muscles and bones.
Wrap a shawl around yourself and move through the day with it, reminding yourself of your container — front and back.
Mobilise your spinal column: we can move side‑to‑side, in flexion and extension.
Imagine being gently propelled forward from the back of your spine. Imagine large, supportive hands across your back. Does your walking speed change?
Balancing Front and Back
Place one hand on the back of your head.
Place the other hand on the front of your body — forehead, chest, or abdomen.
Notice what settles when front and back are held in awareness together.
Knowing Your Own Space
Explore the perimeters of your own container.
Where does your skin end and the space around you begin?
Tap, rub, and make contact with skin, muscles, and bones. This supports orientation and self‑presence.
Intentionally, spend time on your own — in the bathroom, stepping outside the front door, go for a solo walk.
Name and notice yourself: I am here. Here I am.
A Simple Awareness Meditation
Hello body. How are you today? Take time to listen!
I notice…
I am feeling…
I am aware that I am feeling…
I am aware.
I am.
Awareness.
Closing: Small Shifts, Real Change
I’ll leave you with the essence of the Serenity Prayer:
“Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time…”
Even when things feel tough, stuck or constricted, we can relax knowing that we have the knowledge and tools at our fingertips to make even the smallest movement.
It is the change, the shift from this to that — that creates momentum and opens space for our inherent aliveness to blossom.
