Emotional Triggers, Embodiment & Spirituality for Mental Wellbeing this month: guidance for therapists
The festive season often arrives wrapped in glitter, warmth, and cultural expectation. We’re encouraged to feel joyful, grateful, and connected — yet the reality is more complex. For many, this time of year also stirs emotional triggers linked to family dynamics, grief, financial strain, sensory overload, or the pressure to perform happiness.
From a mental health and mental wellbeing perspective, this period can amplify stress and emotional overwhelm. As EP practitioners and coaches, supporting clients means acknowledging both the light and the shadow. One of the most effective ways to do that is through embodied techniques and spiritual practices that help regulate the nervous system and restore inner balance.
Why the Festive Season Amplifies Emotional Triggers
- Heightened Expectations
The cultural narrative of a “perfect holiday” can intensify feelings of inadequacy and stress, impacting mental wellbeing.
- Family Dynamics and Old Patterns
Returning home can trigger unresolved relational patterns that affect emotional regulation and mental health.
- Sensory and Social Overload
Overstimulation, especially for neurodivergent clients, can activate anxiety, shutdown, or emotional reactivity.
- Grief and Missing Pieces
The festive season often accentuates feelings of loss, loneliness, or longing — key contributors to emotional distress.
- Financial Pressure
Economic strain can create shame or conflict, deeply affecting mental wellbeing during an already demanding time.
Understanding these triggers opens the door to using embodied practices that support the whole person — body, mind, emotions, and spirit.
6. Alcohol
Unfortunately many people will overindulge in alcohol and/or drugs at this time of year, either at work functions or social occasions. Ensure your clients are safe and know how to access emergency services if needed.
7. Family violence
Incidents of violence can be higher at this time of year, so again be ready to provide extra help and guidance to ensure clients are safe.
How Embodied Techniques Support Mental Health During the Festive Season
Embodiment helps clients reconnect with the body as a source of safety, grounding, and emotional insight. Because emotional triggers often originate as bodily sensations, somatic work is especially powerful for stress reduction and improving mental health outcomes.
- Grounding for Emotional Stability
- Pressing feet into the floor
- Slowing the breath
- Orienting with the senses
These techniques help regulate the nervous system and reduce anxiety.
- Breathwork for Stress Relief
Breathwork is a proven method for supporting mental wellbeing:
- Box breathing
- Coherent breathing
- Physiological sigh
These practices create physiological calm and help clients respond rather than react. See below for how to practice.
- Somatic Boundary Work
Healthy boundaries are essential for emotional and mental health:
- Embodied “no” practice
- Visualising energetic boundaries
- Grounding postures
Somatic boundary work reinforces self-trust and agency.
- Inner Resource Anchoring
Anchoring techniques — like hand-to-heart touch or calming imagery — give clients an internal “home base” during stressful interactions.
- Embodied Gratitude
Rather than bypassing difficult feelings, embodied gratitude brings clients back to the present moment through sensory awareness — a powerful support for emotional wellbeing.
Box Breathing
How to do it:
- Inhale for 4 seconds
- Hold the breath for 4 seconds
- Exhale for 4 seconds
- Hold empty lungs for 4 seconds
→ Repeat for several rounds
Effects:
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Activates the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest)
-
Can reduce stress, improve focus, and steady the heart rate
Coherent Breathing
How to do it:
-
Inhale for 5–6 seconds
-
Exhale for 5–6 seconds
→ No breath-holds; just continuous, even breaths.
Effects:
-
Improves emotional regulation
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Enhances HRV (often used in biofeedback)
-
Creates a calm, steady physiological rhythm
-
Useful for anxiety, insomnia, and stress
Physiological Sigh
How to do it:
-
Take a deep inhale through the nose
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At the top, take a quick second inhale to fully inflate the lungs
-
Long, slow exhale (preferably through the mouth)
Effects:
-
Quickly reduces stress and CO₂ buildup
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Can lower heart rate in as little as 1–2 breaths
-
Useful for sudden anxiety, overwhelm, or emotional reset
Spirituality as a Pathway to Wellbeing and Inner Connection
Beyond the surface-level festivities, this season is deeply tied to spirituality, reflection, and inner meaning. Spirituality — in the sense of connecting with something larger, wiser, or steadier — is a protective factor in mental health and emotional resilience.
- Spirituality Brings Meaning to Difficult Emotions
Spiritual perspectives help clients:
- Make sense of their emotional landscape
- Connect with personal values
- Honour their inner experience without judgment
This creates grounding and clarity during a stressful season.
- Embodied Spirituality: Bringing the Sacred Into the Body
Spiritual practices become more impactful when experienced somatically. Embodied spirituality may include:
- Heart-focused breathing
- Grounding while connecting with nature or the earth
- Gentle movement as ritual
- Mindful presence as a spiritual practice
These tools integrate the sacred with daily life, enhancing both emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
- Spirituality as Support During Grief or Loneliness
For clients experiencing loss, spiritual practices can offer:
- A sense of continuity
- Healing rituals
- Permission to honour grief
This connection can deeply support mental wellbeing during the holidays.
Guiding Clients Toward Self-Compassion and Mental Wellbeing
The festive season is not only about celebration — it is about capacity. Clients may need support in:
- Slowing down rather than speeding up
- Listening to their nervous system
- Creating meaningful, intentional rituals
- Honouring their spiritual or embodied needs
- Offering themselves self-compassion rather than self-judgment
Embodiment and spirituality both create pathways to emotional grounding, resilience, and improved mental health.
Final Thoughts
The festive season can be both beautiful and challenging. By blending embodied practices, somatic awareness, and spirituality, we help clients navigate emotional triggers with deeper presence, groundedness, and meaning.
Embodied spirituality reminds clients of something essential: their body, breath, and inner wisdom are powerful allies in supporting their mental wellbeing — not just during the holidays, but throughout the year.
I am available throughout December. Make contact with me if you want support. I offer a sliding scale of fees and am happy to discuss how we can find a way together, to support your needs.
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