A Neurologist’s Guide to a Stress-Free Holiday Season
As we head into the holiday season, there’s so much to look forward to.
Yet we can all relate to the unexpected burnout that can come after weeks of planning, hours of traveling, and time spent cooking in the kitchen.
The good news? With a few simple strategies, you can keep stress at bay, enjoy the season, and feel good doing it. When we slow down, manage our stress, and find joy in each moment, we show up as our best selves for others, too!
How Joy Strengthens the Brain
Did you know holidays and celebrations can positively impact your brain?
When it comes to keeping the brain healthy, joy and connection are just as powerful as diet and exercise! Sharing a meal, laughing with friends, or taking part in familiar traditions doesn’t just feel good; it strengthens the brain’s chemistry and structure in measurable ways.
When you participate in positive experiences, your brain releases the “feel-good” neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin. These chemicals lift your mood, strengthen memory formation, and even support immune function. There is a medical concept called psychoneuroimmunology; this means that when you’re happy, your immune system works better, can ward off infections, and you feel better overall. In addition, those happy chemicals reduce the risk of depression and leave you in a positive mood.
Social connection also activates multiple areas of your brain simultaneously. The hippocampus (your memory center) lights up as you create new memories and recall cherished traditions. Your prefrontal cortex engages as you plan, organize, and navigate social interactions. Even the simple act of laughing with family stimulates neural pathways that reduce stress and promote well-being. We’ve all heard the expression, “fake it until you make it”; well, that is true. Scientists discovered that if you practice smiling, you send positive messages to your brain, and your brain becomes happier.
I like to say to all my patients: give yourself permission to let go for a few minutes, no matter what is going on in life. Laughter acts like medicine for the nervous system, lowering stress hormones and improving overall resilience. People have said for decades that laughter is the best medicine. I tell my patients that medicine is actually the best medicine, but laughter is a close second.
The Challenge: When Your Brain Goes into Overdrive
Shopping lists, meal planning, social coordination, gift buying, travel arrangements, and the list goes on and on. And while there is a lot to enjoy during the holidays, the season can demand a lot from us mentally, even when we go in with the best of intentions. Your brain is working overtime to keep track of it all.
Think of your brain like a smartphone with dozens of apps running in the background. During the holidays, your battery drains faster, and your processing speed naturally slows down.
The key to remember this year isn’t how to eliminate these demands (that would mean missing out on celebration), but rather how to support your brain so it can handle them effectively.
The Stress Response: Friend and Foe
When you’re excited about seeing family, anticipating a special meal, or looking forward to a tradition you love, that’s technically stress, but it’s positive stress (what scientists call “eustress”). This type of stress has been shown to sharpen focus, boost energy, and improve overall performance.
The challenge comes when stress becomes chronic or overwhelming. When your to-do list feels endless, when family dynamics get tense, or when you’re worried about everything being perfect, your body releases cortisol, the stress hormone.
In short bursts, cortisol is helpful. But when it stays elevated for days or weeks, it affects your memory, concentration, pain levels, sleep quality, mood, and even your immune system.
This cycle makes preparation critical. When you feel prepared and have a game plan, your nervous system doesn’t need to stay in high alert mode.
Five Ways to Celebrate and Feel Good
Oftentimes, even a small adjustment can make a big difference. Here are five proven techniques to ensure you make the most out of this holiday season!
1) Prioritize Your Sleep & Recovery
Losing sleep during the busy holiday season is the surest way to increase pressure on the brain and nervous system. Signs to look out for are increased fatigue, irritability, and forgetfulness.
Getting adequate sleep gives our nervous system the time it needs to reset and repair, so we can show up fully for the moments that matter. During restorative sleep, the brain rids itself of excess waste, consolidates memories, and restores itself for the next day’s celebrations.
In addition, downtime is helpful to the brain during the daytime, too! Allowing your brain to slow down during the day, by taking a walk or having a quiet moment, helps restore focus, patience, and emotional balance.
Dr. Kandel’s Tip: Build in recovery time between big events. If you’re hosting Saturday dinner, keep Sunday open for rest. Think of sleep and rest as your secret weapon for staying present and energized throughout the season. The whole world takes a nap or siesta every afternoon, but not us Americans. We forge ahead and power through. This holiday season, you have my permission… Take a nap!
2) Make Smart Food Choices
Holiday meals are meant to be enjoyed! Understanding how certain foods affect your specific condition empowers you to make informed decisions, so you don’t pay for it later.
We all know the typical recommendations to limit sugar and alcohol, as they can contribute to increased inflammation and disrupt neurotransmitter balance. Instead, opt to stay hydrated and choose whole foods that are delicious and help regulate your brain better, too.
As an added precaution, try to avoid overly processed food that contains additives such as MSG and artificial sweeteners in soda beverages, as they are known triggers for some neurological symptoms.
Dr. Kandel’s Tip: You can absolutely enjoy holiday treats. Consider strategic swaps (sparkling cider in a champagne glass, smaller portions of dessert, water between alcoholic drinks) that let you participate fully in toasts and meals while feeling your best.
3) Maintain Helpful Routines
Through the excitement of the season, it’s easy to forget your basic routine. When you maintain your medication schedule, keep consistent meal times, and preserve some elements of your exercise routine, your body feels more stable, allowing you to be more present for celebrations.
As I always tell my patients, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The small effort of maintaining some consistency pays off in how good you feel during and after holiday events.
Dr. Kandel’s Tip: Set phone alarms for medications. Schedule brief movement breaks (even 15-30 minutes counts). Keep your morning routine similar even when schedules shift in the afternoon and evening.
4) Manage Your Energy Wisely
Think of your energy as a budget for the season. You have a finite amount, so spend it intentionally on what brings the most joy and meaning. Just like you’d splurge on a priority purchase while skipping things you don’t really want or need. This isn’t about doing less; it’s about doing what matters most.
The main thing to remember is that when you plan ahead and use supportive tools, you can participate more fully in the activities you love.
Dr. Kandel’s Tip: Choose your priorities (hosting dinner vs. elaborate decorating). Use supportive equipment (comfortable shoes, lumbar support, cooling devices). Take sitting breaks during cooking. Ask for help with heavy lifting. These small adjustments let you do MORE of what you enjoy. For God’s sake, practice and use this line I give you at my office visits… “I would love to do that, but Dr. Kandel said I can’t”!
5) Navigate Travel Strategically
Seeing loved ones is often the most meaningful part of the season, but the travel to get to them can also be the most taxing on your nervous system. Prolonged sitting, jet lag, disrupted meal schedules, and the stress of airports or traffic all place additional demands on your brain.
Dr. Kandel’s Tip: Pack a small “neurological comfort kit” including your medications, a cooling wrap, compression socks for flights, earplugs or noise-canceling headphones, and a copy of your medication list. Stay well-hydrated during travel, move and stretch every hour when possible, and schedule an extra recovery day after returning home before jumping back into normal routines. I also suggest the classic two tennis balls in a sock; put this in the cervical, scapular, thoracic, or lumbar regions and roll against the backrest of a chair. This helps reduce tension in the muscles and is a very inexpensive way of maintaining your spine health.
Celebrate and Feel Good
The season should be a time of joy and celebration… and it can be.
Whether it’s a quiet moment of joy, a meaningful tradition, or simply being present with loved ones, the holiday season can be a beautiful time of connection and celebration.
So, when the season gets a little stressful, try to be in the moment and remember that good moments give your brain exactly what it needs to set you up for a healthy new year!
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A Message From Dr. Kandel
“For four decades, I have been seeing patients have spinal flares, migraine outbreaks, and overwhelming fatigue at the holiday time.
I often ask my patients in the exam room if they think they can bend at the waist and deadlift 25 pounds. Almost universally, they respond, “Absolutely not.” I then point out that if they can’t do that, how do they think they can lift a 25-pound turkey out of the oven? Next, I ask if they could bend and stretch 100 times in a row. That doesn’t sound reasonable either. So I ask how they expect to decorate a Christmas tree while bending and stretching over and over again!?
The holidays are meant to be a special time, but not if they aggravate your health. Be mindful of what you are doing, who you are doing it with, and why you are doing it. Remember to be grateful for every moment you are in and for everyone in your life you are sharing those moments with. This is your holiday. Enjoy it to the fullest, but please take care of yourself!”
Joseph Kandel, MD
Feel free to share this with the people in your life who may benefit from this information! For more insights on neurology, check out our weekly tips on our Neurology Office Facebook page.
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