This holiday I could feel my nervous system shift from the tension of stress to relaxation mode. My body has been bracing against the deluge of stress and emotional processing this year. 2025 was a challenging year, both internally and externally, affecting my sleep and well-being. Of course it wasn’t all stress; I had good moments but generally I was trying to bring myself back from the edge of exhaustion.
As soon as I felt relief of stress on my holiday, as soon as I was in the company of family, enjoying laughter, and activity (and sweet dog cuddles), my body shifted. I had been waking early due a more alert nervous system (hence the picture of the sunrise). As soon as I felt deeply relaxed, my parasympathetic nervous system kicked in. I went from being alert in the morning to wanting to sleep more, feeling drowsier and relaxed.
It was an important shift, and it opened my eyes to what I’d like to experience this next year. If I were to commit to any big goal for 2026, it would be to keep my nervous system as relaxed as possible despite what life brings.
The question that has rolled around in my mind is…how do we keep centred, and grounded, despite life stress? Life stress comes in many forms, from personal to political. It sometimes can feel like we are facing too much. I think the development of skills to ground oneself brings a resilience that is key for mental health.
How we stay balanced or relaxed facing stress is unique to us. While one person unwinds through running for 5 kilometres, another dives into reading for relaxation (I’m definitely part of the latter category:) There are many tools than ever helping you regulate your nervous system. From breathwork, to movement, to meditation if you want to find ways to unwind a stressed-out nervous system you only need to click a few buttons and find a lot of information and guidance on sites like YouTube. Or you can find a teacher or class to learn many different approaches to relaxation. But it’s finding what works for you and feels authentic, something that you can commit to regularly, that can take some exploration. And these practices or tools can change over time.
Understanding why we are stressed is also important. What some people stress about rolls of the backs of another person. Some people (like me) find conflict a top stress while others feel quite comfortable in engaging in relationship challenges. Some people are chronically worried about money whereas others are stressed about health. Whatever the cause of stress, the body’s system is activated and affects things like sleep, emotional regulation, and energy. Overtime this can impact the quality of one’s life.
I have experienced the toll of prolonged stress. My body is used to reacting, anticipating stress. My mental resilience is lower. Life has been kind of like navigating ocean waves: experiencing stress, then some recovery, experiencing more stress, and then recovery.
This year supporting another person closely with anxiety and a dysregulated nervous system, really challenged my nervous system which was also easily dysregulated. Our anxiety fed off each other until I realized that and started working on not reacting more to their stress and making it bigger. I am consciously working on being calmer and more relaxed in the face of my dad’s challenges, recognizing there is not much I can control but how I respond. If something comes up that I don’t anticipate, instead of reacting, tensing, and feeling overwhelmed, I focus on staying relaxed. I take time to reflect on my needs and how to communicate them kindly. I also try to see his needs clearly even if I can’t need them all.
It doesn’t help that the world is experiencing many stressful events which impact our lives in a multitude of ways. From the politics and the environment, our lives are impacted from what we see and experience in our communities and the world. The task of regulating our nervous systems becomes imperative for our mental health so that we can help support positive change.
I think starting by reflecting about ourselves and our lives is a starting place. for healing Here’s a few questions that may help with this exploration:
1. How are your stress levels now? Don’t just let your mind answer – tune in with your body.
2. What is your resiliency against stress right now? How do you know?
3. What are some current stressors?
4. Are there anyways to reduce these stressors?
5. Are there any ways you can change your thoughts to reduce the feelings of stress?
6. What are your current coping tools for stress? Is there something you want to add?
7. How can you commit to the self-care you need each week without feeling like you are locking yourself into a routine that causes stress itself?
8. What does fun/joy mean to you and how can you experience more of them?
I engaged in a joyful, simple art activity over the holidays inspired by cardboard art that I had seen in a magazine called Somerset Studio. All I need was glue, staples, my fun scissors, and some magazine cutouts. Here are some pics:
Art does not need to be hard. You do not need to be talented. You can experience joy and mindfulness through doing and being absorbed in the task of pairing colours, textures, words, and images. Art is most definitely regulating for the nervous system.
Wishing you a creative and relaxing beginning of 2026!! 💙💙💙with care and kindness, Meegan
PS I have a personal essay coming out January 21st, 2026 on OC87RecoveryDiaries.com. This is a vulnerable and honest piece about my last episode and the past five years of healing through writing and art making. I’d love to share it with you. You can find the essay on the website above next week.
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