The mindful festive guide series: Finding Stillness in a Season That Moves Fast

The holiday season is often painted as a time of joy, connection, and celebration — yet for many, it arrives with a whirlwind of to-dos, social pressure, travel logistics, and emotional expectations. In a culture that rewards busyness and productivity, slowing down sometimes feels impossible or even counter-cultural. But stillness isn’t just a nice idea — it’s a powerful support for mental, emotional, and nervous system health.

Why Stillness Matters (Especially Now)

Stillness isn’t merely the absence of movement. It’s intentional calm — a mental and physiological state that allows your body and mind to reset. Modern life is full of stimulation: screens, responsibilities, notifications, planning, problem-solving, and social demands. Without intentional stillness, your nervous system stays in a persistent “on” mode, which over time affects emotional regulation, focus, sleep, and overall wellbeing. 

Psychologists point out that moments of true stillness, whether sitting quietly, breathing deeply, or walking slowly with awareness, give your nervous system time and space to downshift from stress mode. This can help soothe internal tension without numbing out or checking out.

Many people assume stillness must look like meditation in silence for half an hour. But real stillness is more flexible and more accessible:

• Stillness can be a slow walk with gentle awareness rather than a frantic one with headphones in.

• It can be a few slow breaths before opening your email instead of diving straight into work.

• It might be a few moments of sitting outside, eyes closed, noticing the temperature and sounds.

• Reducing screen time before sleep, slowing your pace, and engaging in calming activities (reading, light stretching, journaling).

• Even in a crowded MRT or packed shopping mall, you can cultivate an internal stillness — a mindful pause in how you carry yourself. 

Because busy seasons demand a lot of us, stillness doesn’t have to be long — it simply needs intention and presence. Many people struggle with “productivity guilt”, the belief that they must earn their rest. But rest is foundational, not a luxury. One way to ease into stillness is rethinking it not as down-time but as fuel for resilience. 

Especially in a season of celebrations, good food, reunions, and year-end reflections, stillness gives you space to feel whatever arises — joy, sadness, nostalgia, or fatigue — without overwhelm. 

How Therapy Supports Finding Stillness

Therapy can play a powerful role in helping you access stillness — especially when slowing down feels unfamiliar or uncomfortable.

• Therapy helps regulate the nervous system. A therapist guides you in recognising when your body is in stress mode and teaches grounding tools that signal safety and calm.

• It creates a weekly pause. Therapy can become a consistent, protected space to slow down, reflect, and return to yourself — even when everything else in life is moving quickly.

• It rewires how your body responds to stress. Over time, therapeutic work helps your nervous system shift more easily from hyper-arousal (fight/flight) or shutdown (freeze) into balance.

• It normalises rest. Many people carry beliefs that rest must be earned. Therapy helps you challenge those patterns and build a healthier relationship with rest, stillness, and pacing.

Restoring Peace is a private mental health centre offering counselling and psychotherapy for individuals, couples, families and groups facing challenges such as trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, and relational issues. Learn more at www.restoringpeace.com.sg or WhatsApp us at +65 8889 1848. For updates and resources, join our Telegram group: https://t.me/restoringpeace

References (APA-style)

Fogel, S. (2023, February). How to rest when you are too tired and busy to rest. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/lifes-work/202302/how-to-rest-when-you-are-too-tired-and-busy-to-rest

Groden, C. (n.d.). The power in being still: How to practice stillness. Psych Central. https://psychcentral.com/blog/the-power-in-being-still-how-to-practice-stillness

Hanson, R. (2014). Find stillness. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/your-wise-brain/201403/find-stillness

Mad & Crip Theology Press. (2023). The radical act of rest: Embracing stillness during the busy holiday season. https://www.madandcriptheologypress.ca/post/the-radical-act-of-rest-embracing-stillness-during-the-busy-holiday-season

Online Therapy UK. (n.d.). How your nervous system responds to therapy and why it matters.https://onlinetherapyuk.co.uk/how-your-nervous-system-responds-to-therapy-and-why-it-matters/