The Holiday Rest Guide: 12 Ways to Sneak in Recovery Between Parties

The holidays come at us fast. One minute you’re buying a tree or booking a flight, and the next you’re bouncing between dinners, secret Santa swaps, late nights, early flights, and inboxes that don’t seem to get the memo that it’s “the season of rest.” It’s joyful, yes. But also—deeply exhausting.

Here’s the truth I’ve learned working with clients from CEOs to stay-at-home parents: rest during the holidays doesn’t come by accident. You have to build it in, in ways that feel realistic for your real life—not the idealized, slow-motion version of the season we sometimes picture.

This guide isn’t about opting out or canceling everything (unless that’s what you need). It’s about creating small, consistent recovery moments—between parties, flights, and family—so you don't burn out in the middle of the very thing that’s supposed to fill you up.

1. Micro-Restorative Moments

One of the biggest myths about rest is that it has to be long to be effective. That’s just not true. I’ve seen clients shift their energy noticeably after a 90-second nervous system reset. It’s about quality, not duration.

A few examples that may work between events:

• A full-body stretch before changing into your party outfit
• Sitting quietly in your car for 2 minutes before walking into a gathering
• Drinking water slowly, with no distractions, after a sugary holiday treat
• A few deep breaths with your hands on your ribs to ground yourself

None of these take more than a few moments—but they work with your body, not against it. That’s the key to micro-rest.

2. Recalibrate How You Say Yes

Saying yes isn’t the problem. Saying yes without knowing what you’re giving up? That’s where fatigue creeps in.

Instead of defaulting to “yes” out of habit or guilt, give yourself a few moments of buffer before you reply to anything—an invite, a favor, a last-minute work task.

A simple pause helps you tune in. Ask yourself:

• Do I want to do this or feel obligated to?
• Do I have the bandwidth, not just the time?
• What will I need to give up to say yes to this?

That tiny check-in can change the entire tone of your season.

3. Build Rituals, Not Routines

During the holidays, routines tend to fall apart. That’s normal. But that doesn’t mean you have to let go of all structure.

Instead, shift toward rituals—small actions anchored to how you want to feel, not how much you want to get done.

Think:

• Lighting a candle before bed, even if bedtime changes
• Listening to the same grounding song on the way home from a gathering
• A short journaling practice every Sunday to reset your headspace

Rituals create a sense of continuity and identity in a season that can feel overwhelming. They’re small, but incredibly stabilizing.

4. Claim Your In-Between Time

We tend to overvalue events and undervalue transitions.

The 10 minutes between leaving one party and arriving at the next? That’s recovery time. The time you spend cleaning up the kitchen after hosting? It can be recovery time—if you let it.

Don’t scroll it away. Don’t rush it. Let it be neutral.

One small shift I’ve recommended to clients: replace “what’s next?” with “what do I need right now?” for just one breath. You’d be amazed how often the answer is simple—water, stillness, a small exhale.

5. Let Your Sleep Be Imperfect—But Protected

Sleep is easily disrupted during the holidays—and that’s understandable. Travel, sugar, late-night hosting, social fatigue—it all adds up.

Instead of trying to maintain a perfect sleep schedule (which can lead to stress about sleep), focus on protecting the conditions for better rest:

• Keep your bedroom cool and dark, even when staying at someone else’s place
• Avoid screens in bed, even if your bedtime shifts
• If you can’t get 8 hours, try napping earlier in the day or practicing yoga nidra (a form of deep guided rest)

Sleep is still your foundation for recovery—even when it’s messy.

6. Stop Performing Relaxation

You don’t have to post your self-care. You don’t have to schedule a spa day if that feels more like effort than ease.

Rest that’s performative doesn’t restore you—it drains you.

This season, give yourself permission to keep your rest private. You don’t have to earn it or prove it. Sometimes the most powerful recovery happens in the quietest, least visible spaces.

7. Turn Down the Noise—Literally

Auditory overload is real—and during the holidays, it ramps up.

Music in stores, chatter at parties, the clink of glasses, notifications, playlists, movies playing in the background. Your brain needs space from sound.

This doesn’t have to be total silence. But it can look like:

• A few minutes in a quiet room without talking
• Wearing noise-canceling earbuds during travel or errands
• Listening to white noise or calming nature sounds instead of holiday music when decompressing

Give your auditory system a break. It restores your focus, your energy, and your nervous system.

8. Don’t Confuse Social Energy with Rest

A warm, joy-filled party can leave you emotionally nourished—but still energetically depleted.

Be honest with yourself about what fills you up and what simply feels good but costs energy.

There’s nothing wrong with leaning into social events. Just balance it with genuine solitude, silence, or low-sensory activities like reading, walking, or being in nature. That’s what rest really looks like for your nervous system.

9. Strategically Underplan One Day a Week

Pick one day—any day—during this season where your only goal is underplanning.

Not necessarily “do nothing,” but let your day unfold without a strict agenda. Create space for spontaneity, reflection, or nothing at all.

This is not a wasted day—it’s a reset container. One of the most effective strategies I use with burned-out clients is encouraging blank space in the week. It’s preventative care, not indulgence.

10. Let Movement Be a Transition

You don’t need to force workouts into your already-packed holiday calendar. But movement as recovery is something different entirely.

Think about moving your body not to check off a box, but to create transitions between high-energy experiences. You could:

• Take a short walk after a big meal, not for calorie burning—but for digestion and nervous system reset
• Do a few slow stretches in your bedroom before changing outfits
• Try “walking meditation” to anchor back into your body

The goal isn’t fitness—it’s flow.

11. Eat to Stabilize, Not Just Celebrate

There’s no shame in holiday indulgence. In fact, celebration is part of wellbeing. But if you’re finding yourself crashing midday or losing sleep, take a look at how you're eating, not just what you’re eating.

Sneak in stabilizing habits where you can:

• Eat a grounding meal before a cocktail party so your blood sugar isn’t on a rollercoaster
• Drink water with intention, not just as an afterthought
• Include a protein or fat with sweet treats to support energy

This isn’t about restriction—it’s about restoring balance in the body so your mind can follow.

12. Recovery Isn’t All-Or-Nothing—It’s Always Available

Here’s the most important thing I can offer: rest doesn’t need ideal conditions. It just needs your permission.

If you can’t take a whole day off, take ten minutes. If you’re traveling nonstop, find three minutes of stillness in the airport restroom. If your calendar is full, schedule an exit strategy from every event—a moment of decompression before you dive into the next thing.

As Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry, says:

Skipping sleep may feel harmless—until it catches up with you. Just one night of poor rest can leave you drained, unfocused, and off your game. The Sleep Foundation reports that nearly half of Americans struggle with sleep, and a third sleep less than seven hours a night. When your body doesn’t get enough rest, it starts to carry sleep debt, which can quietly chip away at your health, energy, and productivity.

Your Reset Reminders

A few steady, practical shifts to come back to—no matter how full your calendar gets

• Anchor rest in micro-moments. Even 90 seconds of stillness can reset your system more than you think.

• Say yes with awareness, not just obligation. Your time and your energy deserve consent.

• Protect transitions—don’t rush them. Recovery often happens in the in-between, not just the breaks.

• Silence is a stress reliever. Turn down the noise, even if just for a few minutes a day.

• Strategically underplan—on purpose. One day a week with room to breathe changes everything.

Let This Be the Season You Stay Whole

You can love the holidays, show up for others, enjoy the celebration—and still not run yourself into the ground.

Recovery doesn’t have to wait until January. It can happen right here, between parties, in small acts of care, stillness, and mindful attention to what your body and mind are asking for.

You don’t have to do less. But you can do it differently. With a little more breath, a little more space, and a lot more grace.

This season, choose presence over performance. Choose steadiness over sprinting. Choose rest, not as a luxury—but as your birthright.

And if you need a place to start? Take one deep breath. You’re already on your way.