(Or Cornbread Stuffing for my Vegan Tribe – have you tried this?!)
Holidays are full. Gratitude and positive thinking can start a shift, and also it’s not the whole plan. Your nervous system settles best when mind and body work together. Irene Lyon says mindset alone is not enough for nervous system healing, and her myth-busting guide backs that up.
If you keep getting overwhelmed, get curious. What danger does your body think is here right now? That question points to the deeper work. You cannot gratitude your way past that. Following Irene Lyon’s lens, build capacity in the body instead of pushing through with thoughts alone. Slow, paced breathing can lower stress signals and support your body’s brake system. (See the science) Lasting change also needs movement and body awareness. Pair a few calm breaths with a simple motion so the relief can land.
This is a monks’ practice, according to Jay Shetty.
All in your mind’s eye…
Ground with your five senses, then spot one glimmer a tiny cue of safety or kindness and let it land for a breath. Five-sense grounding brings attention back to the present; glimmers are micro-moments of regulation from Deb Dana’s work.
Stretch using either half-kneeling hip flexor or figure-four on your back, 20–30 seconds each side, easy range. These are standard PT-taught openers for front-of-hip and piriformis tightness. Check out the youtube video to see how Chain Reaction Therapy does a half-kneeling hip flexor.
I’ve worked with Chain Reaction Therapy throughout the years. They provide awesome exercises in short doses on youtube.
Check them out.
Personally, I’ve never been a Stuffing Person, Turkey, Vegan, Vegatarian or not. I’d rather have pumpkin pie for the carbs and rationing my fullness.
But… this stuffing is amazing :chef’s kiss:
See the link for the full receipe. I love the minimalist baker 🙂
Naming what you feel calms the alarm system in your brain. Studies show that briefly putting emotions into words reduces amygdala activity and engages prefrontal control networks; this is called affect labeling. You can literally take 1–2 minutes to say or write I feel anxious and notice my chest is tight and see a measurable calming effect.
If naming your feelings, being with yourself, and finding the deeper currents feels unbearable, let’s do it together. We’ll build simple practices you can sustain, so the energy has somewhere to go and you don’t have to carry it alone. Don’t stuff your feelings another year, start moving through some changes before the year ends. Book a call to see if you want more clarity and see if we’re aligned to work together.
Creating Nervous System Resilience in Waves
