The 12 Ways to Practice Wellness: Caring for Your Mental & Physical Health This Holiday Season

By Elisabeth Plutko,

Revelations Counseling & Wellness

The holiday season brings light, tradition, and celebration—but it can also bring stress, pressure, and emotional overwhelm. December often comes with a lot of extra. We often find ourselves juggling more than usual: more gatherings, more expectations, more decisions, and sometimes, more emotions. It brings a period of reflection – observing what we gained or lost, what we accomplished or where we fell short, relationships that either strengthened or strained. 

As you begin writing the last chapter of your 2025, here are 12 ways to approach this month with intention and to support your mental and physical health this holiday season. 

1. Practice Presence

Presence allows us to notice what’s happening right now instead of rushing through the season. Deep breaths before a busy event, a quiet moment in the car, or a shared pause with your family can calm the nervous system and help anchor you. 

2. Create Gentle Boundaries

Saying “no” can feel uncomfortable, but boundaries protect your peace. Consider what your family truly values this month and let go of activities or expectations that drain rather than nourish. 

3. Prioritize Movement

Movement supports mental health by boosting mood, increasing resilience, and improving sleep. Whether it’s walking, stretching, dancing, or structured exercise, choose activities that feel accessible and enjoyable. 

4. Give Yourself Permission to Rest

Rest is not laziness—it is essential for emotional regulation. Short breaks, consistent bedtimes, and screen-free evenings can restore energy and calm. 

5. Nourish Your Body with Intention

Holiday foods are part of the joy, but balanced nourishment supports energy, focus, and mood. Following your personal nutrition protocol allows room for a holiday meal without guilt. The goal is realistic, sustainable habits: regular meals, adequate hydration, and mindful choices that help your body feel steady and supported. When those habits are in place, it becomes easier to enjoy a splurge because you have a defined structure that keeps you grounded and helps you to quickly reset the next day. 

6. Manage Expectations

Expectations can make the season feel heavier than it needs to be. Let go of comparisons or the pressure for everything to look perfect. Focus instead on moments of connection, small traditions, and memories that matter. 

7. Make Room for Feelings

With celebrations come emotions: joy, grief, nostalgia, overwhelm, loneliness, excitement, and everything in between. All feelings deserve attention, not judgment. Helping children name what they feel builds emotional resilience; giving adults space to process their emotions does the same. 

8. Create Moments of Connection

Connection is one of the strongest protectors of mental health. Reach out to someone you haven’t talked with in a while. Shared experiences—large or small—help reduce isolation and deepen a sense of belonging.

9. Slow Down Your Schedule

If your calendar feels overwhelming, choose one thing you can remove. Slowing down brings more meaning to what remains. Families often find that even small adjustments lower stress and increase enjoyment. It’s okay—healthy, even—to do less.

10. Support Children’s Emotional Worlds

Children experience the intensity of this season too. Predictable routines, play, open conversations, and gentle guidance help them stay grounded. 

11. Practice Self-Reflection & Set Intentional Goals

As the year comes to a close, take time to reflect on your successes—large or small. Celebrate what you’ve learned, how you’ve grown, and what you’ve overcome. Then begin to look toward the year ahead.What do you hope to accomplish?What habits support those goals?What daily choices help you become the person you’re striving to be?This gentle practice invites clarity, focus, and purpose as you get ready to enter a new year.

12. Seek Support When You Need It

There is strength—not weakness—in reaching out. Whether it's talking with a trusted friend, joining a group, leaning on a partner, or meeting with a counselor or wellness professional, support can make the season feel lighter and more manageable. No one has to navigate things alone.

A Season of Care, Gratitude, and New Beginnings

As we celebrate our first anniversary, we want to express heartfelt gratitude for welcoming us into the community and entrusting us with your care. It has been our honor to walk alongside you this past year.

If we could offer one message of guidance this month, it is this:You deserve care, rest, and support—during the holidays and every day of the year.

If you are looking for encouragement, guidance, or a safe, welcoming place to work toward your mental and physical wellness goals in the year ahead, our team at Revelations Counseling & Wellness is here to walk with you, ready to offer clarity, balance, encouragement, hope, and support.