111 Calm Before Christmas: Simple ways to stay grounded in the Busy Season

Feeling overwhelmed by festive plans, full diaries, or the pressure to be everything to everyone?

 In this episode, Carly shares simple, nervous-system-friendly grounding tools to help you feel calmer, steadier, and more centred as December begins.

You’ll learn practical breathwork techniques, discreet grounding exercises for busy moments, and gentle ways to stay connected to yourself; even if the season brings overstimulation, excitement, or emotional heaviness.

Whether you love this time of year or quietly struggle with it, this episode offers grounded support to help you meet the festive season with presence, not pressure.

For deeper support and guidance book a free clarity call at carlykillen.com

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📧 Email: carlykillenpt@gmail.com
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Transcript

Carly: 0:46

Hello, lovely people and welcome back to Rooted in Presence. I'm your host, Carly, and today we're talking about that feeling in the air. You know that one, that pull towards December, that shift in energy, the invitations, the just a quick catch up messages and the diary starting to fill before you've even opened it. And perhaps that early flicker of overwhelm or excitement, maybe both. Every year around this time, I hear the same thing from everybody that I speak to the, I want to enjoy the season, but I can already feel myself getting pulled in every direction or I love this time of year, but I end up exhausted by the end of it and from others. Everyone seems so festive, but this season just feels heavy for me. So today's episode is for all of you, those who adore December, and those who quietly or not so quietly dread it. and of course, those of you who sit somewhere in between because whether you're buzzing with joy or feeling overstimulated, your nervous system deserves care. And you deserve to stay rooted in presence before the December chaos begins. So let's talk about why this season can feel like a lot, Because I'm over here in the UK and. Whether or not you're someone who observes the holiday or celebrates Christmas or not, there is a change There is a change in the atmosphere. There is a change in how the shops and the streets look. So whether you celebrate, observe Christmas, the holiday season or not. This time can still bring more stimulation, more social expectations, more sensory input, disrupted routines, emotional triggers, and that can be memories, anniversaries, even grief, financial pressure, shorter daylight hours. So even the fun things, whether that's Fest of Markets gatherings, sparkly lights, they can leave your system a little depleted If there's no space to return to yourself. And for women in midlife or menopause, that can land quite differently. Your hormones, your sleep rhythms, stress responses, and energy levels, they might already feel a little tender. And add those December expectations on top. And it is a lot for you to navigate and not because there's something wrong with you, but because your body is in a season of recalibration and deep internal change. So. If you have felt a little wobbly, stretched thin or overstimulated in previous years, or perhaps this is the first year where things just feel different, you are not imagining it and you're not alone. This season asks something of us and it also gives us an invitation, that invitation to root before we rush to pause, before we pour out. And to ground before the month sweeps us away. So while we're here, and if you're a regular listener, you'll know that a few episodes ago I talked about November. So if you did have the best intentions for your November setting, some boundaries perhaps. Managing to have a quieter time if that's what you want and need. But if your diary has still ended up full or fuller than you want to, then I want you to know this, that it is okay. Boundaries take time. Other humans need time to adjust to and saying no is a skill to learn through practice, not perfection. And maybe you set one small boundary, maybe you simply noticed where you needed one, and maybe you're still figuring out what your capacity truly feels like, and that all counts. Truly it does. And where real people living real lives with partners, families, colleagues, children, friends, and all the rest, maybe some pets thrown in there too. It's not as simple as shutting the world out, and it's not supposed to be. We do have lives to lead. That's kind of the good bit, but that's why today's episode isn't just about avoiding December and everything that comes with it, but about supporting yourself through it. So if you love this season, this is for you too. Those of you that absolutely love the festive vibe, you might feel energized by the lights, the gatherings, the cozy nights, the treats, and that is beautiful. But even excitement has a cost. The nervous system can become full of joy. As much as it can become full of stress. So grounding just isn't a punishment or a fix it solution when you're struggling, and it's not something to wait until you're on your last nerve before you start to engage with it. Either it's nourishment, even for those who feel festive and well. Think of it as a gentle reset switch, a way to keep your energy steady so you don't tumble into January. Feeling totally rung out even if you've had a great time. So I want to share with you this week some grounding tools. Ones that I haven't shared exactly like this before, and they're perfect for the supermarkets, festive markets, social gatherings. That time when you're looking for your car in the car park. Bedtime overstimulation, on those meals out and for those busy days of commitments. I'm all about the practical tips as I often say. So the first thing I want to share with you is a rectangle breath. It's kind of a softer version of the box breath for me. Sometimes the box breath actually annoys me. It irritates me at times. I can sometimes find it a little bit hard to do the hold as evenly as I do the inhale and the exhale. So for some. A bit like me at times, box breath can feel intense. Those four second long holds, they're not for everybody. And if you're already quite heightened, it can be quite difficult to do. And of course, if you're new to focusing on your breath or doing any kind of breath work again. It might feel like too much of a stretch right now. So if you're someone that is often be told, try box, breath, it's great. It is great. But yeah, it doesn't work for everybody every time and every situation. This is why I'm all about adapting and helping empower you to understand how you can change. Things to fit your needs better rather than thinking there's something wrong with you because a particular technique doesn't quite fit or feel right to you. So let's try this rectangle breath, or at least listen along and decide later maybe if it's for you to try or not. So instead of doing that, even inhale holding, exhale and that hold at the bottom, or for even counts, we can inhale. We hold for a shorter amount of time, followed by an exhale and a hold for a shorter amount of time than the in and the outbreath. For example, we might inhale for the count of four, hold for two, exhale for a count of four, or maybe five. Doesn't matter if it's a wonky rectangle, holding for two at the bottom and repeating, and you don't actually have to count. I just find that. Counting is a great way to explain things, do what feels natural to you, so just think of it as longer sides and shorter sides. You can do this in a queue. You can do it sat on the table or on the sofa, and no one really needs to know. The both this and the next breath I'm gonna share with you. They help regulate the carbon dioxide in the blood, which helps to bring your stress levels down and help your body reach a sense of balance. So the next technique I'm gonna share with you, another breathwork technique. It's called the physiological sigh. And. This is a long way of saying it's like a sip, sip sigh breath. And what we do with this one is we take a natural inhale and when you feel like you've reached the top of your breath, we take an extra little sip of air. Before one long exhale out through the mouth if that's comfortable for you. Now we don't have to push this or feel like we're really overfilling our lungs or really stretching. It's just like that double inhale and a bit of a release. This is great for if you're feeling tense. It's great for post-meal discomfort, so if you've eaten a little bit too much, this can be a really good one. It can be great if you notice that you've been holding your breath at the top of your chest, or you feel that sense of panic rising and it's great for too much people. Sometimes I find myself doing this naturally without trying. It's like my body knows what it needs, who'd have thought? It's another way to release over stimulation as well. I'm a fan of this one. And again, it also helps you to reset that carbon dioxide level. It signals safety as well. In nature. We wouldn't be sighing and relaxing if we were being chased by a predator. So being able to do that nice sigh, that inhale, extra sip, and that ha little sigh out. It's a way of telling the body. Everything is actually okay, even if you're in a queue of 20 odd people with trolleys absolutely bursting. So another technique we can try, especially if you feel. Particularly in a tizz, or like you're pulled in all the directions. It's a different kind of grounding technique called the 3, 3, 3 grounding. And it's a shorter and simpler version of the Five Senses Method. And all you need to do really is focus on three things you can see. So that's simply looking around where you are. Focus on an object and name it to yourself. Then focus on three things you can hear. And then all you need to do is move three parts of your body. Sometimes we can find ourselves sitting and stiffening up, especially if you're at a desk or perhaps even just watching TV for too long. This just quietly pulls you back into the present moment. And you can do this in a crowded room. No one's really gonna know. Those three little movements could be wiggling a finger, a toe, maybe wiggling your nose. Hmm. Next, we have the aligned person check in. So perhaps check in with somebody that you trust, that you feel like you vibe with, maybe a text, a voice note or go and visit somebody who really feels calming to your system, who you know sees you for who you really are and someone that doesn't drain you. And someone that you know that when you're around them, you just feel back like you again, someone that helps you return to your center because that connection is regulated and we're meant to co-regulate, not to white knuckle our way through life. And lastly, I'll share with you the one minute return, one of my favorites, but perhaps I say that about everything so we can sit or stand in stillness. Just place a hand on somewhere that feels grounded. If there is a place like that on your body, maybe the chest, belly back of neck, sometimes a a little cool flannel or cool paper towel can be really great in regulating for this on the back of the neck. If you're feeling overwhelmed and you can simply ask what part of me needs attention right now. And if you're able to sit or stand in that stillness you, you might feel an answer whispering back to you. I often do, so I'm hoping that outta those five things, there's something there that you might be able to draw upon to support you at times when things can sometimes feel a little bit much over this season. And of course, I'd love to remind you that it is okay to feel however you feel. Maybe you're excited. Maybe you're dreading this next season. You might be in a season of grieving, and maybe you're overstimulated by the lights, the noise, perhaps you're hosting and maybe you'll be alone. Maybe you feel guilty for not feeling festive, and maybe you feel guilty because you do feel festive. All of it is welcome and it does all make sense. This season holds a lot of emotion, not just celebration, but those memories, nostalgia, longing, and sometimes loss. And your feelings are not wrong. They are simply information. So self-care, and if you can, that caring community becomes essential here. So perhaps this season's invitation is simple. Check in on your own care before the world gets louder, before December gets full. Before you disappear from your own list, and as we head towards December now, remember we don't need to brace for it. You don't need to perform your way through it, and you don't need to be endlessly available. Instead, using your tools root, soften return to who you are, whether that's a few breaths, a pause, a small boundary, a moment of presence. This is how we stay connected to ourselves when the world picks up pace. And if you'd like deeper support through your midlife season, your energy, your nervous system, or your habits, you can always reach out and book a clarity. Call through Carly killen.com. We thank you for being here. Until next time, may you meet yourself with Compassion, walk with a Presence. And remember, you already carry everything you need.