Holding Joy and Anxiety in the Holidays 🎄

The holidays are often painted as a season of pure joy, lights twinkling, music filling the air, families gathering. But for me, it’s never that simple. Alongside the excitement, there’s also the quiet weight of anxiety and the moments of sadness that surface when the season feels overwhelming.

I’ve learned that managing the holidays isn’t about pretending those feelings don’t exist. It’s about creating balance. I give myself permission to step back when the noise gets too loud, to rest when my body asks for it, and to find joy in small, gentle rituals, a warm drink, soft lights in the window, or laughter shared in brief moments.

The push and pull is real: wanting to soak in the joy while also carrying the heaviness of invisible struggles. But balance means letting both be true. I don’t have to erase the anxiety to celebrate. I can hold joy and struggle side by side, and that’s enough.

This season, I’m choosing to honor both parts of my experience. To celebrate in ways that feel authentic, to care for myself without guilt, and to trust that even in the bittersweet mix, there is meaning.