As the Holiday season begins, it’s easy to get caught up in a seemingly endless list of Holiday events, family gatherings, home decorating efforts, and last-minute gift shopping. Time seems to be slipping through our fingers extra fast this time of year.
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For people with chronic symptoms, it can feel even more challenging during the Holiday season to find the time for compassionate self-care that is SO necessary to regulate a nervous system that’s already stuck in fight or flight mode. Not to mention that it is hard to attend social functions and pretend to feel cheerful when you’re suffering from pain or other chronic symptoms.
The picture-perfect images of merry, jolly, peaceful, loving Holidays portrayed by the media create expectation and add intensity and pressure by bringing out our most perfectionistic selves. And we all know that this is not helpful when you’re already putting too much pressure on yourself anyway. In the chronic pain field, I get to witness every year how family dynamics add yet another layer of complexity that often results in outbursts of suppressed feelings and an increase in symptoms.
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So, how can you get through the most beautiful time of the year?
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Here are a few mindful tips to help you lower the intensity of the Holiday season, keep your symptoms in check, and enjoy yourself along the way.
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Plan ahead
Maybe it’s my German heritage, but I’ve always liked a good plan. By sitting down right now and making a list of everything that needs to be done over the next couple of weeks, you can spread out your to-dos and get something small done daily. This makes things more manageable, relieves excessive stress, and, above all, allows you to also schedule breaks for yourself.
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Set healthy boundaries
As you reflect on your upcoming Holiday tasks, think about which ones mean the most to you and which ones you’d rather skip this year. Then, consider the possibility of actually skipping them. How does that sit with you? Respect your boundaries and say no to events and activities you don't want to participate in. In a time that can feel pretty unsettling for pain sufferers, setting boundaries is an essential form of self-care. Plus, it conveys messages of safety to your brain, which can help lower your pain.
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Take time for the things YOU love
And while you’re sitting down to plan, explore what it is that you truly enjoy this time of year and what you don’t. Think about what is most meaningful to you. Maybe you love baking, playing board games with your family, caroling, or volunteering at a soup kitchen. Maybe you hate some of these things. Choose activities that YOU love and make time for them regularly to create a genuinely joyful Holiday season.
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Practice compassionate self-care
Self-care can mean many different things, but in the context of chronic symptoms, the most important thing is to be gentle with yourself. You’ve got a lot going on. You are doing the best you can. Some days may not go as you intend them to go, but that’s okay. You’re human. Sometimes, even a short break can help reduce stress significantly. Step outside and get some fresh air, go for a short walk if you can, listen to music, binge-watch a rom-com, or read a good book. Anything goes that makes you feel good and safe.
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Sensational Holidays
The Holiday season is filled with many sights, sounds, and fragrances. This makes it an ideal time to utilize all of your senses in an extra mindful way. Task yourself to smell as many Holiday scents as possible in a day (think spices, candles, mulled cider, pine trees, etc.) and make it a point to smile as you note each one. The next day, you could explore Holiday sounds. What in your day reminds you of the Holidays (Christmas music, bells, a crackling fire?) And what are your favorite sights (Santa, decorated trees, Christmas lights, snow, cookies?) So many emotions and memories are directly linked to our senses. Bringing mindfulness into the mix while sharpening your senses teaches your brain to pay attention to positive sensations. This, in turn, takes away bandwidth from focusing on unpleasant sensations such as pain or other chronic symptoms.
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Practice gratitude
The Holiday season and the end of the year is a perfect opportunity to look back and see how far you’ve come – even if it may not always feel like it. One of my favorite New Year’s was when I celebrated with a bubble bath, candles, good food, and a nice beverage. I spent the evening writing letters to a few dear friends, expressing what makes them so special to me. This mindful activity reminded me of the many good things that had happened in that (very challenging) year, and I was filled to the brim with gratitude. Gratitude is a powerful antidote to stress and can effectively relieve pain. Give it a try.
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Utilize your mindbody toolbox
Don’t forget to use all the tools in your toolbox: track and interrupt automatic negative thoughts before they can spiral into catastrophizing. Practice Somatic Tracking to teach your brain a better way to respond to your neuroplastic symptoms by meeting them with lightness and detached curiosity. Listen to your favorite guided meditation or explore journaling and expressive writing to process any emotions that may surface at this time. It can also be helpful to schedule a session with your counselor or coach for additional Holiday support. Anything that will make you feel a bit safer and a bit calmer is great for regulating your nervous system and reducing symptoms.
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Hopefully, these tips will get you through the Holiday season and make it enjoyable and less stressful. If you'd like additional support on your recovery journey, consider joining my new group program. You can learn more about it below.
But regardless of whether I see you in my group or not, here is my wish for you:
May this time turn out to be special, transformative, and peaceful.
For 2025, I wish you nothing but good health, meaningful connection, and joy!
With much love,
Simone
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In January 2025, the First Cohort of my 8-Week Neuroplastic Symptom Recovery Group Program will kick off.
Let's start the new year with purpose and determination!
I have been wondering for a while how I can help more people suffering from chronic pain and other neuroplastic symptoms. Not everyone can afford individual coaching. At the same time, people don’t deserve to be left to their own devices when they would benefit from professional support in addition to freely available mindbody resources such as apps, books, podcasts, etc.
The mindbody approach often makes sense intellectually, but it can be challenging to apply it somatically and implement it into our daily life. That’s where this series of 8 weekly live workshops comes in. Participants will  Â
learn a new way of understanding chronic pain and why it develops and persists.Â
have access to empowering brain retraining and cutting-edge Pain Neuroscience Education, also known as 'Knowledge Therapy'. Â Â Â Â
begin to take on a whole-person approach by reconnecting to their body through somatic mindfulness techniques. Â Â Â Â
learn to regulate their nervous system to get out of permanent fight, flight, or freeze states.
learn how to feel and process emotions and sensations in a safe, mindful way. Â Â Â Â
get a clear plan of what to focus on between sessions to maximize progress.  Â
get back safely to movement and activities they love.     ​​
discover simple, effective, evidence-based symptom reprocessing therapies they can implement from week one. Â
The small group size provides a safe space and supportive learning environment for everyone.
Weekly office hours allow extra time to ask questions or deepen the learning. We’ll also have a closed Facebook community to support each other between sessions.
As mentioned above, the mindbody approach is quite simple. However, it takes effort, commitment, regular practice, and a curious, open mind. In my experience, many people get stuck when trying to apply the mindbody principles on their own. This is who this group coaching program is for.
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Click here to learn more about this 8-Week Pain Recovery Group Program. I would love to see you there.
If you have any questions, please email me at simone@themindbodyapproach.com or schedule a free chat at https://lnkd.in/gBN4tmHdÂ
In the meantime, I wish all of you Happy Holidays and a healthy, happy, and pain-free New Year.
Let’s make it so!
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