Our Guide to Surviving the Holidays!

We know how stressful the holidays can be! Between travelling and relatives, it can be hard to find time to practice self care. We gathered some advice from our practitioners that'll help you protect your peace on through the new year!

How to avoid being triggered by your family this holiday season By Michelle Fagen, BSc, DC, RP

Returning home for the holidays has a way of bending time. Even if you’ve built a full adult life, complete with responsibilities, relationships, and boundaries - you may notice that once you cross the familiar threshold of your childhood home you settle back into old roles. 

Be kind to yourself - family systems are powerful, and tend to snap back to their last known configuration. If you were the peacemaker, the achiever, the caretaker, or the one who kept quiet to reduce conflict, it’s easy to find yourself slipping into that part again without consciously choosing it.

From a Gestalt perspective, what often happens is that unfinished business - old patterns, unspoken feelings, or unmet needs - gets activated in the here-and-now. The environment of home becomes a trigger for familiar relational dynamics. Awareness is the first step toward choice: instead of simply reacting, you begin noticing. Where in your body do you feel tension when someone speaks to you a certain way? What story are you telling yourself about who you need to be? Increasing your sensory and emotional awareness helps interrupt the autopilot of old habits.

Resisting the pull of past roles doesn’t mean rejecting your family, it means staying present with yourself. Before visiting, it can help to set an intention: Who do I want to be in this space now? What do I need to feel grounded? During family interactions, practice small pauses. Take a breath before responding. Notice if you’re about to say “yes” out of obligation, or shrink back to avoid being noticed. Experiment with gentle boundary statements like, “I’m not going to discuss that right now,” or “I’ll think about it and let you know.” Gestalt work often emphasizes experimentation, so think of these not as rigid rules but as lived trials, moments to try a new way of being.

Finally, give yourself compassion. Stepping out of old roles takes practice, especially within the very system that taught you those roles. Celebrate small shifts. If you stay aligned with yourself even 10% more than last year, that’s real progress! Coming home can stir old patterns, but it can also offer a rich field for awareness, growth, and new choices, one moment at a time.

Navigating the Holidays: Family Dynamics, Self-Care, and the Power of Psychotherapy By Lisa Sutherland, BSW, MSW, RSW

The holiday season is usually portrayed as a time of joy, togetherness, and gratitude. Yet for many people, it can also bring stress, emotional exhaustion, and resurfacing family tensions. Between packed schedules, financial pressures, and the expectation to create “perfect” celebrations, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Understanding these challenges—and knowing how to care for yourself through them—can help transform the season into something more grounded and meaningful.

Family dynamics often become more pronounced during the holidays. Old roles and patterns can resurface when relatives gather under one roof: the peacemaker, the over-giver, the quiet observer, or the one who always ends up doing the dishes. Unresolved conflicts, generational differences, or differing values may create tension and fuel triggers. Even when relationships are loving, spending extended time together can highlight emotional triggers or feelings of not being seen or understood.

Supporting yourself starts with realistic expectations. You don’t have to attend every event or make everything perfect. Setting boundaries—saying no when you need to—protects your emotional energy. Practice grounding techniques like deep breathing or short walks when you feel overwhelmed. It’s ok to excuse yourself from the festivities to take a walk or get some air.  Maybe a family member that you connect well with, will want to accompany you.  Journaling or talking with a trusted friend can help you process emotions rather than suppress them. It’s also important to give yourself permission to feel whatever arises: sadness, frustration, even loneliness. Emotional honesty is a key form of self-care.

This is where psychotherapy can be especially helpful. Therapy offers a safe, nonjudgmental space to explore family patterns, process complicated feelings, and build healthier coping strategies. A therapist can help you understand why certain dynamics feel triggering and empower you to respond differently. Over time, psychotherapy enhances self-awareness, emotional resilience, and communication skills—all of which support not just surviving the holidays but approaching them with greater authenticity and peace.

While the holidays can be complex, they also offer opportunities for reflection and growth. By tending to your mental health and seeking support when needed, you can create space for connection, gratitude, and genuine joy—on your own terms. Happy holidays!

How to Use Your Massage Insurance Benefits Wisely By Grace Jiang, RMT

As December approaches, we often see a rush of clients booking multiple massage appointments in late November and December—trying to use up their benefits before they expire at the end of the year.

As RMTs, one of the most common questions we hear is: “How can I use my massage benefits more wisely?”

Here’s a simple suggestion:

Take your total annual massage coverage

Divide it by our hourly rate to find out how many sessions your plan covers

Subtract two sessions and keep those as “emergency” visits

For example:

If your insurance covers about 14 massages a year, you can schedule one massage per month and save two for urgent needs.

If your plan covers 8 sessions, you can book one every two months and still keep two for unexpected situations.

Using your benefits this way helps you maintain consistent care throughout the year—without the year-end rush!

How to Maintain Your Balance of the Holidays By Dr Dori Skye Engel, N.D.

It's a beautiful, bright and chaotic time of year. Wonderful for those lucky enough to get a break - remember to treat it like a marathon, not a sprint. Consider caring for your precious nervous system with small manageable habits: 

• Hydrate often! Let water and herbal tea outnumber the coffee and festive drinks.  

• Aim for one colourful, veggie-rich meal a day 

• Sneak in daylight and movement wherever you can - dance in the kitchen, take an after dinner walk (amazing for digestion) or play a really active game of Simon Says with the kids. It all goes a long way in shifting your mood and boosting your immunity. 

If you're socializing more than usual - try the 1:1 rule - 

One glass of water for every celebratory drink.

One deep breath before entering a busy room.

One early bedtime for every late night. 

Practice balance, life is rarely all or nothing. 

If your body needs extra support this season - immunity boosts, digestive help, acupuncture, supplement planning - reach out for personalized care so you don't just survive the season, but navigate it with ease, showing up for 2026 nourished and resilient, not depleted.