Calm in the Chaos: Reset Stress & Thrive This December

December brings joy, connection, and excitement. But with that often comes the feeling of being pulled in every direction - late nights, non-stop plans, long lists, endless screens and deadlines to wrap up before the year ends. And while it’s tempting to just “push through” and tell yourself, I just need to get to Christmas, here is how to embrace the craziness with resilience, energy and confidence.

The Physiology of Christmas Stress

The stress you feel at this time of year isn’t just in your mind - it’s a full-body, physiological state driven by your nervous system and hormones, particularly cortisol.

Although, cortisol is not the enemy - it plays key roles in your body. It works with your circadian rhythm - rising in the morning to help you wake, falling in the evening so you can rest.

When ‘Busy’ Throws Off Your Body Clock

But when you’re constantly “on,” that rhythm flattens. You might feel wired but tired, crave sugar or caffeine, and notice changes in digestion, sleep, or mood. These are your body’s signals that it needs a reset, not another late-night push.

The Power of Micro-Moments

The key to restoring balance lies in micro-moments of safety. We’re conditioned to wait for the big breaks - the bath at the end of the day, the weekend, the holiday - but your nervous system responds to what you do in the moment. These small cues retrain the stress response and strengthen the vagus nerve, which connects your brain, gut, and heart.

6 Daily Resets to Rewire Stress and Manage Cortisol Naturally

Try these daily resets to rewire your stress response and bring cortisol back into rhythm:

1. Check your posture: roll your shoulders, unclench your jaw, shake out any tension.

2. Breathe deeply: make your exhale longer than your inhale to activate the vagus nerve.

3. Ground through your senses: notice what you can see, smell, and hear - it anchors you in the present and gives your brain concrete evidence that you are safe.

4. Slow down when you eat: count the colours on your plate and chew properly - a calm nervous system is key to good digestion.

5. Step outside for natural light: even five minutes helps reset. Bonus points for a walk without music, podcasts or voice notes!

6. Create a wind-down ritual: even just 10 minutes of no screens, dim lights and something soothing - for me, lying with my legs up the wall is that instant signal it is time for bed.

If you’ve been running on stress for too long, your cortisol may be calling for a reset. The London House of Wellbeing’s Cortisol Test can help you understand how stress is showing up in your body, and where to begin restoring balance.

Book in a The London House of Wellbeing Clinic for an appointment.

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Grace Williams (@g_documented)

Grace is a leading Health and Nutrition Coach, specialising in high-performance wellbeing. A former disputes lawyer at a top US firm, she knows first-hand the toll that pressure can take on your body and your confidence. That experience is now at the heart of her private 1:1 and corporate work: helping ambitious professionals, executives and founders optimise their energy, resilience and performance without sacrificing their health.

Known for her calm, grounded presence, Grace blends practical tools with research to help her clients reconnect with their natural rhythms and build strength from the inside out. Her work is trusted by global brands, including Christian Dior Couture, and her programmes are designed to cut through the noise and deliver lasting impact for those in high-performing environments.