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When Joy and Stress Emotions Coexist

  • Writer: Restoring Vida Team
    Restoring Vida Team
  • Dec 4, 2025
  • 2 min read

Making Space for All Your Emotions This Month



We have now entered December and people are starting to decorate and get into the holiday spirit. Some people have started to buy their Christmas tree, buy ornaments, and purchase gifts.


However, this month can bring an emotional shift for many individuals. For some, it can bring joy while others are grieving the loss of a loved one for the first time. This can bring up complex feelings of joy, stress, and heaviness - they can coexist. Let’s find intentional ways to support yourself during this season.


Why December Emotions Feel Bigger

Here are some examples of how emotions can come up


  1. Emotional Pressure Increase

    1. Family expectations

    2. Social events 

    3. Cultural and first gen responsibilities

  2. Financial Stress and Holiday Spending

    1. Gifts

    2. Travel

    3. Feeling guilty if you can’t afford “big celebrations"

  3. Old Memories Surface

    1. Grief

    2. Past Holidays

    3. Family Patterns or conflicts

  4. Nervous System Overload

    1. More stimulation

    2. Less rest

    3. Faster pace


As we navigate all of these emotions, it is important to have tools to support and ground us. 


Tools to Support Yourself

  1. Pause Before You Say Yes

A sample boundary script:

I want to be there but I need to check my capacity

  1. Centering Moment

    1. Two minutes of deep breathing

    2. A short walk after a family fathering

    3. Quiet time before festivities

  2. Choose One Tradition That Feels Good

That could be:

  1. Hot chocolate

  2. Watching one movie

  3. Journaling gratitude + grief together


We want to remind you that this holiday season, you don’t have to force joy and your experience doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. You can have peace from your small choices. 


If you are feeling overwhelmed by the emotions this season brings, or unsure how to navigate them, you are not alone. Therapy can help you explore your emotional needs, set supportive boundaries, and move through the season with more clarity and compassion.


We’re here for you. 

Schedule a virtual session anywhere in California.



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