Mind-Body Connection through the Holidays
By: Yani Roman MSW, LSW
The holiday season, with its twinkling lights, festive gatherings, and whirlwind of to-do lists, can often feel like a race against time, one where our bodies move on autopilot while our minds try to catch up. It’s easy to get caught in the frenzy, feeling more drained than joyful, disconnected from both ourselves and the true spirit of the season.
For many, the holidays can also bring up challenging emotion, especially when navigating difficult family dynamics or unresolved tensions. These complex relationships can stir up stress, anxiety, and even physical symptoms like tension or fatigue, making it more important to understand how our mind and body are intricately linked. By fostering awareness of how our mental and emotional states manifest physically, we can begin to find healthier ways to cope, set boundaries, and protect our well-being during this often-overwhelming time.
For those who’ve experienced trauma, the holiday season can make things feel even harder. All the stress of family drama, social pressure, and emotional overload can make the effects of past trauma feel stronger. If someone has experienced sexual trauma, just being around people especially in close or crowded settings can make them feel disconnected from their body. This can make it tough to feel safe, present, or even in tune with their own physical sensations, which can block them from experiencing intimacy or sensuality. The emotional and physical shutdown that often comes with trauma might show up as a lack of desire or even discomfort when it comes to romantic or sexual connection. During the holidays, this can lead to more isolation, as it’s hard to connect with others or feel that closeness or erotic connection that’s often expected during the season, making it harder to enjoy the holiday season the holidays are supposed to bring.
Let’s talk about Susan for a moment—a fictional character, but one whose story may resonate with many of us.
Since the beginning of November, Susan has felt an overwhelming sense of tension in her body. With the holidays fast approaching, she’s already dreading what’s to come. The financial strain of buying gifts for her family is weighing heavily on her, and she can’t shake the worry that she won’t be able to meet everyone’s expectations. But what really gets to her is the emotional toll, thinking about the upcoming family gatherings activates feelings of stress and anxiety. She knows that navigating difficult and tense relationships with relatives will add to her already full plate. It’s as if her mind is racing, but her body is holding onto all the strain, making her feel even more disconnected to herself. This feeling of being “on edge” is something many can relate to during the holidays. But what if Susan and others like her reconnect to both their bodies and minds in a way that calms the chaos and offers some relief?
Mind-body exercises, like mindful breathing or progressive muscle relaxation, could be the tools to help her or you, manage this holiday stress, balancing out the tension and creating space for more peace and enjoyment. Through simple practices, Susan might discover how to reset her nervous system, find clarity, and navigate this holiday season is a less activating way. By practicing grounding techniques or mindfulness, such as slow breathing, body scans, or conscious movement, we can begin to bridge the gap between mind and body. This allows us to be more present, feel more in tune with our bodies, and respond to the needs of the moment. For those who have experienced trauma, these practices can be particularly healing, allowing them to reconnect with themselves, cultivate self-compassion, and reclaim a sense of intimacy—both with themselves and others—despite the overwhelming nature of the holiday season.
Here are ways that we can have a mind-body connection with ourselves:
Grounding Techniques
Benefits: Grounding exercises bring you into the present moment, helping to alleviate anxiety or emotional overwhelm.
How to do it: Sit or stand comfortably and take a few deep breaths. Focus on the sensation of your feet pressing against the ground. Slowly observe the five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This activates your senses and calms both the mind and body.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
Benefits: PMR reduces physical tension, which often accompanies emotional stress.
How to do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7QoBABZu8k
Mindful Breathing
Benefits: Focused breathing can activate the parasympathetic nervous system (the body's relaxation response), reducing feelings of stress and anxiety.
How to do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbDoBzGY3vo
Body Scan Meditation
Benefits: This mindfulness practice helps people tune into how their body is feeling and identify areas of tension or discomfort.
How to do it: https://www.therapistaid.com/interactive-therapy-tool/body-scan/active
Yoga for Stress Relief
Benefits: Yoga connects movement with breath, helping to release physical and mental tension simultaneously.
How to do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_MFrCwVD34 | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD_l3fDTFyg
Dance or Movement Therapy
Benefits: Movement allows the body to release pent-up emotions and energy, and dancing can be a joyful, therapeutic way to connect with both mind and body.
How to do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DhwZqNJkIU
It’s essential to remember that the true spirit of this time of year isn’t just about giving or achieving perfection, but about reconnecting with ourselves and the people we care about. For many of us, this season can bring both joy and stress in equal measure, but by cultivating awareness of our mind-body connection, we can begin to navigate these challenges with greater ease and resilience. Whether it’s through grounding techniques, mindful breathing, or even a little dance, small practices can make a big difference in how we experience the holidays. Just like Susan, we all have the power to reset, find clarity, and reduce the overwhelming stress that sometimes accompanies this season. I hope this blog is a reminder to prioritize the things needed to survive such a hectic season.
Below, you’ll be able to read how some of our therapists here at Soleil practice Mind-Body Connection:
“To me, having a mind-body connection means I am tuned in to my physical and cognitive needs in the present moment, it is to understand our whole self. Our mind exists within our body. It makes sense that they are linked and speak to one another. When we slow down to listen to our mind & body, we gain an understanding of how & why we operate the way that we do. We can then utilize mindfulness techniques to regulate our nervous system to support us.
It is important to explore how we feel physically and cognitively seeing that they are linked through our mind-body connection. I support clients by providing the space to slow down and process their feelings and to tune into their body. In a session we may do work such as breathing techniques, meditations, and movement of our body to tap into somatic work.
Next time you are feeling anxious, try this somatic exercise. Wrap your arms around you & give yourself a big bear hug. Close your eyes, squeeze yourself tightly and breathe in (about 3 seconds). Next, release your arms to the sides of your body as you exhale. Notice any sensations within your body. This technique allows us to consolidate the nervous energy within our body with the bear hug, to control it, then as we exhale, to release it”.
“The mind-body connection represents the bridge between our physical and mental experiences & acts as a powerful tool for understanding ourselves and our emotional landscape. It's about recognizing that our feelings and thoughts are not isolated—they manifest physically, and how we feel in our body often informs how we think and respond. To me, it’s this awareness that allows us to regulate and adapt in meaningful ways. We can feel more present and connected with ourselves and our environment.
The work can look slightly different for every client, as each space is so unique. I try to pick up on the needs of the client and respond flexibly. I work with psychoeducation and building understanding around what mind-body connection is and how that can look. I often begin by inviting clients to slow down and check in with their bodies during our sessions. I guide clients through exercises that help release tension, explore sensations in a non-judgmental way, and re-establish a sense of safety in their bodies. This can help develop emotional resilience, and create a more grounded, integrated sense of self”.
“Mind-Body connection is important for understanding the wide range of our emotions, being able to process them fully and to gain deeper insight into ourselves. This practice aims to provide clients with ways to access feelings in their body using meditation techniques, felt/sense language (temperature, texture, pressure, etc.) and visualization techniques. Cultivating this connection helps clients gain deeper self-awareness in all aspects of their life, like being more present in joy and intimacy. Starting to incorporate this practice can be difficult depending on client willingness and trauma history. Somatic techniques can start by practicing felt/sense language by holding a nearby object and describing how it feels to hold it. This practice can also be incorporated when a client is intellectualizing their issues and Therapist may ask them how it feels in their body to discuss this issue. If this feels too daunting, there are more ways to gain more access to emotions in the body. For example, when you were a kid what happened in your body when you were angry/sad/excited? Think of your favorite movie or tv show, when a character is not speaking how do you know how they feel? Going slow, staying curious and embodying self-compassion are important when learning this practice”.