🎄 Christmas, Pain, and the Quiet Gift of Taking Care of Yourself

Mind-Body Recovery
Written By Drew Coverdale

🎄Christmas carries many colours.

For some, it’s excitement and anticipation.
For others, it’s pressure, comparison, expectation, or a time when old grief and memories surface more strongly.
And for many living with persistent symptoms, Christmas can feel like trying to decorate a tree while the lights keep flickering.

Culturally, we move into December with an unspoken belief that we should be able to cope with everything — to be joyful, organised, energetic, sociable, and available.

But your nervous system doesn’t read the calendar.
It responds to load, not dates.

Even excitement loads the system.
Even good anticipation is still arousal.
Even happy gatherings take energy.

And pain does not know it’s Christmas.

🎥 Prefer to watch or listen?
Here’s the video version of this post, where I walk you through the topic in a gentle, grounded way.

Christmas, Pain, and the Quiet Gift of Taking Care of Yourself

🌿 The December Load: Why Everything Feels Bigger

When life becomes fuller — emotionally, physically, socially — your body doesn’t just track what is happening.

It tracks everything that might happen:

  • extra work and deadlines

  • family expectations

  • gift buying and financial pressure

  • emotional memories that resurface

  • disrupted routines

  • lack of rest

  • the pressure to “make it special”

None of this means something is wrong with you.
It means you’re human.
And sensitivity rises when loads rise.

This is physiology, not failure.

🌟 A Moment of Permission

If there is one message to hold onto this Christmas, it is this:

You are allowed to pace.

You are allowed to soften.
You are allowed to pause.
You are allowed to be human in December.

Grace is not weakness.
Grace is wisdom.

✨ Before, During & After: Small Moments of Care That Make a Difference

Your nervous system doesn’t need perfection — it needs completions.
Small actions, gentle rituals, and tiny spaces of agency matter far more than you think.

Here are simple practices woven naturally through the festive season, each paired with a supportive tool if you want it.

⭐ Before the Day Begins — Grounding & Softness

A few minutes of calm before stepping into the day changes everything.

  • hold a warm drink in both hands

  • three slow breaths

  • gentle neck or shoulder stretch

  • soften the jaw and belly

  • let your system know: “We’re not rushing.”

A helpful addition:
A weighted eye mask can help reduce morning tension and provide the system with a calm start.
👉 https://amzn.to/4iWpUlz

⭐ During the Chaos — Micro-Pauses That Pull You Back to Yourself

Christmas rarely offers natural pauses, so you may need to insert them yourself.

  • step outside for 30–60 seconds

  • slow exhale before answering a question

  • relax your shoulders every hour

  • place a hand on your chest or stomach as a grounding cue

  • excuse yourself to the bathroom for a moment of quiet

A subtle support for this:
A slow-breathing necklace acts as a wearable reminder to lengthen the exhale when emotions rise or overwhelm creeps in.
👉 https://amzn.to/4pJPsEn

⭐ After the Event — Letting the System Land Again

The body needs a soft landing strip after stimulation.

Try:

  • a warm bath

  • dim lights

  • a short journal entry

  • 5 minutes of legs-up-the-wall

  • stepping into another room for quiet before bed

Calming tools you might enjoy:

Magnesium bath flakes — a gentle, soothing evening ritual.
👉 https://amzn.to/4ovfBpt

An electric heating pad — warmth tells the system “you can settle now.”
👉 https://amzn.to/4iGcyJS

A white noise machine — helpful for sleep when the house is noisy or emotions feel loud.
👉 https://amzn.to/48wMjRs

💛 The Emotional Side of Christmas That No One Sees

Christmas often awakens deeper layers:

  • missing someone who is no longer here

  • wishing you felt differently

  • feeling behind socially or physically

  • comparing your life to others

  • wanting Christmas to feel like “it used to”

Pain often amplifies these emotions, not because the feelings are dangerous, but because they are human.

Your nervous system is not trying to ruin anything.
It is trying to protect you.

And sometimes it needs more reassurance than usual.

🌹 Taking Responsibility Without Self-Blame

Taking responsibility for small acts of care is not the same as believing you caused your pain.

Responsibility is simply agency.
A choice to place yourself somewhere in the circle of care — not at the edge, not last, not forgotten.

This Christmas, instead of giving everyone everything, see if you can provide yourself… something.

A moment.
A breath.
A warm bath.
A pause.
A soft place to land.

For some, that’s the biggest gift of all.

🎁 Thoughtful Gifts That Support Calm, Comfort & Self-Connection

If you’d like to treat yourself or someone you care about, here are gentle, helpful options:

These aren’t solutions or fixes — they’re companions on the journey, small anchors that bring your system back to safety.

🎄 A Closing Reflection

Place a hand on your chest, if that feels okay.

Ask gently:

“What would it look like if I treated myself with the same care I offer others this Christmas?”

Please let whatever arises be enough for you.

Wishing you a Christmas rich in softness, space, and self-kindness.
With warmth,
Drew
The Pain Habit

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✨ CTA — If You’d Like More Support

If you’d like quiet reflections, guidance, and gentle reminders throughout the year, see some potential steps in the box below.

Your journey deserves support — at your pace, in your way.


You don’t have to figure this out alone. Here are some helpful next steps…

  • Join our FREE private Facebook group, The Pain Habit Community, and connect with people who have recovered or are on their way..

  • Sign up for The Pain Habit Blog below to receive future insights.

  • Subscribe to The Pain Habit YouTube channel for weekly guidance.

  • Buy The Pain Habit book. Order here.

  • But truly — take what you need, in your own time.

Drew Coverdale
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