Thanksgiving is often painted as warm, joyful, and cozy, but for many people it can be one of the more overwhelming days of the year. The combination of travel, noise, family dynamics, shifting routines, and elevated sensory input can overload anyone’s nervous system. Sensory needs aren’t just something some kids have! Every single person (adults included!) has a threshold for sounds, smells, lights, and movement. And when stress is already elevated, our ability to tolerate those variable sensory inputs drops even lower.

During the holidays, our brains are often juggling extra pressure, too. Between social expectations, time constraints, and emotional demands, our nervous systems remain taxed more often than normal. Then, add in clanging dishes, loud conversations, unfamiliar smells, new environments, and crowded spaces, and your nervous system starts firing on high alert. 

So how do you help yourself get out of that spiral of overwhelm? The key is grounding—bringing your mind back from the racing chaos and back into the present moment. Simple strategies like stepping outside for fresh air (bonus if it’s cold where you are!), taking a slow and intentional breath, reducing one source of sensory input (like putting in earbuds or dimming the lights), or giving your body a few minutes of predictable movement can reset your system. These are simple ways to signal safety to your brain so it can soften the stress response, and come back online.

Try these grounding activities:

The Physiological sigh: This is a specific type of deep breath, which research shows to downshift our brains out of stress mode. But when we’re overwhelmed, we forget to use the tools that help us feel regulated. Take a slow, deep inhale through your nose. Then inhale through your nose a second time to fill your lungs as much as you can. Then, out of your mouth, exhale slowly and completely. 

5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique: Helping to quiet a wandering mind, this technique reconnects you to your senses, and promotes a felt sense of safety - something your brain needs before it can regulate, connect, and learn. 

Notice:

• 5 things you see around you
• 4 things you can touch
• 3 things you can hear 
• 2 things you can smell
• 1 thing you can taste

Thanksgiving can be joyful… and completely overwhelming. And, there’s nothing wrong with needing support. These grounding techniques remind your brain that you’re safe, present, and capable of settling back into yourself.