The holiday season presents many challenges for our nervous systems: the giant to-do list, gatherings, shopping in crowds, dealing with loss or lack of connection, spending time with difficult family members, and more.

This video is a conversation about the holiday season from a Polyvagal Theory perspective (for example, we talk about a Black Friday sales strategy that can trigger a survival response). When we are more aware of how our body is responding to holiday stressors, we can act mindfully and choose more appropriately how to spend our time and energy. And we can access greater self-compassion!