5 Tips for Managing Stress at Thanksgiving: How to Stay Grounded and Present
Here is your vibe check. How are you feeling as Thanksgiving is in less than a week? For many people, Thanksgiving brings a mix of gratitude, connection, laughter… and stress. Even if you genuinely love your family or look forward to slowing down, the holiday season can stir up a lot of emotional noise. Travel, family expectations, emotional labor, old wounds, schedule changes, overstimulation, and unspoken roles within your family system can leave you feeling drained before the turkey even hits the table.
If you’re someone who tends to absorb the emotions in a room, feels responsible for keeping the peace, or has a history of difficult family dynamics, you’re not alone. Thanksgiving stress is real, and prioritizing your holiday mental health isn’t selfish—it’s wise and protective.
Here are five tips to help you feel more clam, grounded, and more present this season.
Tip #1: Set Expectations Ahead of Time
One of the biggest sources of Thanksgiving stress is walking into the holiday without clarity—either for yourself or for others. Highly sensitive individuals and people recovering from people-pleasing often struggle with the pressure to say yes to everything: the meal, the hosting, the conversations, the emotional support, the cleanup, the expectations of “being fine.”
Setting expectations early can reduce anxiety dramatically.
Ask yourself:
What do I genuinely want to participate in?
What drains me or overwhelms me?
What is a non-negotiable boundary for my emotional well-being?
You can communicate your limits kindly but firmly. For example:
“I’m happy to come early, but I won’t be able to help cook this year.”
“I can only stay until 6 p.m.”
“I’m not discussing diet talk, politics, or my personal life today.”
When you decide ahead of time what you’re willing (and unwilling) to do, you create a sense of predictability and safety—both of which are essential for anyone navigating holiday mental health challenges.
Tip #2: Have a Grounding Strategy
Thanksgiving gatherings can be loud, crowded, and emotionally charged. Having a grounding plan helps your nervous system stay regulated when things feel stressful.
Consider choosing one or two grounding strategies that feel accessible and soothing:
Deep breathing: Try a slow inhale for four counts, hold, and then exhale for six.
Step outside: Fresh air and a change in environment can help regulate your nervous system
Sensory grounding: Name five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste.
Think of grounding as your emotional “exit ramp.” You don’t have to power through discomfort. You can step away, breathe, and come back when you’re ready.
These strategies are especially helpful for anyone coping with difficult family dynamics during the holidays, because they allow you to regulate your system instead of reacting from overwhelm.
Tip #3: Limit Over-Commitment
If you tend to take care of everyone else, Thanksgiving can quickly turn into a marathon of over-functioning and emotional burnout. People-pleasing may have once kept you safe, but it can also fuel resentment, exhaustion, and self-abandonment during high-demand seasons.
This year, give yourself permission to scale back:
You do not have to say yes to multiple events.
You do not have to host if you don’t have the capacity.
You do not have to be the emotional support person for the entire family.
Limiting over-commitment is not about withdrawing—it’s about preserving your energy for what actually matters: connection, peace, and genuine joy.
Tip #4: Prepare for Emotional Triggers
Even the healthiest adults can get pulled back into old roles or patterns the moment they walk into their childhood home. Family systems are powerful, and triggers can surface faster than you expect.
Ask yourself before the holiday:
What conversations, people, or dynamics tend to activate me?
What boundaries will help me stay grounded?
How can I respond (not react) if I feel overwhelmed?
A few strategies that help:
Have a supportive friend on standby for a quick text.
Give yourself permission to leave the room—or the event—if needed.
Plan neutral scripts like: “I’m not going to continue this conversation, but thank you.”
Preparing for emotional triggers doesn’t mean expecting the worst. It means honoring your healing and being proactive about your well-being—especially if you're coping with family during holidays who may not understand your growth.
Tip #5: Prioritize Rest Before and After
One of the biggest mistakes people make during the holidays is assuming they’ll “just push through it.” But emotional labor, travel, sensory overload, and extended family time require energy—and recovery.
Build rest into your schedule on purpose:
Before Thanksgiving:
Slow down the day prior.
Get good sleep.
Keep plans light and supportive.
After Thanksgiving:
Block off an evening (or a full day if possible) for recovery.
Hydrate, stretch, journal, or simply be quiet.
Give your nervous system time to recalibrate.
Protecting your rest helps ensure the holiday doesn’t derail your routines, mood, or emotional balance.
Final Thoughts—and an Invitation
If Thanksgiving brings up stress, guilt, overwhelm, or complicated emotions, nothing is wrong with you. The holiday season often magnifies what’s already happening beneath the surface. You deserve support, clarity, and calm as you navigate family dynamics and care for your mental health.
Click here to schedule a consultation and give yourself the gift of support this season.
Brenda Stewart, LMHC, LPC, NCC is a licensed therapist and coach with over 10 years of experience supporting clients in Florida and South Carolina. She specializes in trauma therapy, EMDR, nervous system regulation, eating disorder recovery, and CIRS recovery. Brenda uses evidence-based approaches—including EMDR therapy, CBT-informed strategies, DBT, and somatic nervous-system techniques—to help clients reduce anxiety, heal trauma, improve emotional regulation, and create lasting mental health resilience.
At Wellspring Therapy Associates, Brenda is committed to providing trauma-informed, compassionate, and expert mental health care online. Her work emphasizes sustainable healing, nervous system balance, and helping clients feel confident, grounded, and empowered in their daily lives.
