The holiday season brings connection, celebration, and joy. It can also leave you feeling depleted and disconnected from the routines that keep you grounded. By January, many of us are crawling to the finish line rather than reflecting on the beautiful moments we just experienced.
It doesn’t have to be this way. With a few intentional strategies, you can move through the season feeling present and nourished. These are five essential tips for thriving through the holidays.
1. Stack Events Thoughtfully
Your social capacity is real, and it has limits. Just because your calendar has space doesn’t mean you have the energy to fill it. This season, approach your schedule with the framework of balancing intensity with recovery.
Build in intentional downtime between gatherings. If you’re hosting on Saturday, protect Sunday for rest and restoration. Schedule time in nature to reset your nervous system. A quiet morning walk or an afternoon spent outside can replenish your social capital. Often, this is more valuable than pushing through another commitment.
Before saying yes to every invitation, ask yourself: Do I have the capacity for this? Acknowledging your limits is how you show up fully for the events and people that matter most.
2. Nourish Your Nervous System
Your nervous system is working overtime during the holidays. You are managing increased stimulation and irregular schedules. That’s before the emotional complexity that often comes with family gatherings. When your nervous system is depleted, everything feels harder.
Support it proactively with nerve tonic — this is a Man Vine based tincture. Utilizing nervines supports your body’s need to handle increased demands with more resilience.
Just as important: protect your sleep routine as much as possible. Your nervous system repairs and regulates during sleep. This makes it non-negotiable if you want to feel good throughout the holidays and beyond. There will be late nights but returning to your normal sleep routine is foundational.
3. Consume Alcohol Mindfully
Alcohol is woven into many holiday traditions, but it comes with real costs. It can impact your sleep quality, energy levels, and overall resilience.
This season, consider incorporating mocktail options at some of your events. Festive non-alcoholic drinks let you celebrate without the next-day consequences. Adding in a bitter (we love Temple Bitters) that helps with digestive function or systemic nervous system support is even better!
If you do choose to drink, set a consumption window that won’t impact your sleep. This means finishing your last drink at least three to four hours before bed. Following this rule gives your body time to metabolize the alcohol before bed. Your morning self will thank you.
4. Support Your Digestive System
Shifts to your normal diet can increase demand on your digestive system. This can lead to inflammation and sluggish digestion.
Before heading to a gathering, eat a nourishing meal that aligns with your regular diet. This prevents you from arriving hungry and overeating richer foods. You’ll still enjoy the special dishes, but you won’t be relying on them as your primary fuel.
Add bitters to your beverages or take a dropperful before larger meals. This will stimulate digestion and prepare your body to efficiently process your food.
Consider supplementing with Optimizer 1 and Optimizer 2. These targeted supplements help your body process heavier foods, without them taking a toll on your system. Think of it as giving your digestive organs the backup they need during their busiest season.
5. Build Your Schedule Around Your Routine—Not the Other Way Around
Holidays pull us out of our normal routines for extended periods. By January, many of us feel completely scattered, depleted, and disconnected from what keeps us balanced. The answer is to protect the most nourishing elements of our routines, even as things get busier.
What works in your regular life? Your morning walk, your exercise routine, your sleep schedule, your weekly therapy or bodywork appointments—these aren’t luxuries to drop when things get hectic. They’re the foundation that allows you to show up for everything else.
This season, flip the script. Build your holiday commitments around the non-negotiable practices that sustain you. Your consistent 7 am workout or your evening yoga class might be what makes the difference between feeling grounded through the season or overwhelmed by it.
The Bottom Line
Thriving through the holidays isn’t about doing more or being more. It’s about protecting what sustains you while embracing what brings joy. When you protect your capacity and needs, you can fully enjoy the moments that make the season special.
You deserve to arrive in January feeling nourished, not depleted. These five strategies can help you get there.
Kristi Zimmer is the CEO of Temple Natural Health, a natural medicine clinic focused on detox, digestive health, and nervous system balance. With a background in massage, colon hydrotherapy, and nutrition, she combines her personal healing journey with a passion for holistic wellness.
She leads a team of professionals dedicated to compassionate care and continuously strives to improve the clinic’s services through client feedback.
