Gentle ways to reduce overwhelm & improve sleep after Christmas

Why your nervous system might feel overwhelmed and how to gently support it

January often arrives with the promise of a fresh start, but many people find it challenging to reduce overwhelm and improve sleep after Christmas. The weeks after the festive period can feel anything but refreshing, leaving your energy, mood, or ability to relax feeling different than usual.

After the build-up to Christmas, busy social calendars, emotional demands, disrupted routines, and the return to everyday responsibilities, it’s common to feel unsettled, tense, or more sensitive than usual.

If you’ve noticed that your sleep isn’t as restorative as it should be, or that your nervous system feels more on edge, there are simple ways to reduce overwhelm and improve sleep, helping you to restore calm and balance naturally.

What does it mean to have an overwhelmed nervous system?

Your nervous system’s role is to keep you safe. It constantly scans your environment and internal world, a bit like a Meerkat, deciding whether it’s safe to rest or whether you need to stay alert.

During the festive season and into January, many of us experience:

• Increased emotional and social demands
• Changes to sleep and daily routines
• Heightened expectations or pressure
• Less time to properly rest and decompress

All of this can gently push the nervous system into a state of heightened alertness.

When this happens, you might notice:

• Feeling anxious, tense, or easily overwhelmed
• Difficulty relaxing, particularly in the evenings
• Poor or disrupted sleep
• Irritability or reduced patience
• A sense of mental or emotional exhaustion

These responses are normal, human, and protective, and not a sign that something is wrong with you.

Why the nervous system doesn’t automatically settle in January

There’s often an assumption that once Christmas is over and life returns to “normal”, the body and mind should quickly catch up.

But the nervous system doesn’t reset simply because the calendar changes.

If it’s been under strain for a while, it needs consistent, gentle signs of safety to help it settle again. Without those signals, it can remain on high alert, even when there’s no immediate pressure.

This is why January can feel surprisingly challenging, and why rest and sleep may not feel as restorative as we hope.

Gentle ways to reduce overwhelm and improve sleep

Supporting your nervous system doesn’t mean doing more. In fact, it responds best to small, compassionate adjustments that help it feel safe enough to soften and relax.

Here are some ways you can begin:

• You can build in intentional pauses. Even a few minutes of slow, steady breathing signals your nervous system that it’s safe to relax.
• You have the power to spend time outdoors. Natural light and gentle movement help regulate your internal rhythms and body clock.
• You can create calmer evenings. Reduce stress, dim lights, and embrace a gentle wind-down routine.
• You can prioritise restorative sleep. Consistent bedtime rituals and mindful relaxation support deeper, more refreshing rest.
• You can notice what already helps. Even small things matter, and doing more of them reinforces safety and balance.
• You can respond with kindness. Towards yourself when your energy, mood, or sleep feels different.

Each small, intentional step sends a message to your nervous system: you’re safe, you can soften and relax, and it’s okay to rest.

Visualise the result

Take a moment to visualise. Imagine waking in the morning feeling a little lighter, your mind quieter, and your body ready to meet the day.

These small shifts are possible and they start with gentle, supported, consistent steps.

How Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can help

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can be especially supportive when your nervous system feels overwhelmed or sleep is disrupted.

Instead of focusing on problems, we explore what you want to feel more of, what’s already working, and how to move forward in ways that feel empowering and manageable.

Hypnosis is a deeply relaxing, natural state similar to daydreaming which allows the nervous system to slow, settle, and reset.

Over time, hypnotherapy can help you:

• Reduce stress and feelings of overwhelm
• Calm a busy or overactive mind
• Improve sleep quality and encourage healthier sleep patterns
• Build emotional resilience and confidence
• Feel more grounded and like yourself again

You can find some helpful information in my blogs:

• Restoring rest: why quality sleep matters in midlife – Katie Deacon – Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
• Self-care and self-kindness: Rewiring your brain for confidence and wellbeing – Katie Deacon – Hypnotherapist & Life Coach.

Or explore how I support clients with poor sleep or stress and overwhelm:

• Hypnotherapy for Insomnia in Nottingham – Katie Deacon 
• Hypnotherapy for Stress in Nottingham – Katie Deacon

Prioritising self-care after the festive period

I truly believe that January isn’t just a time to “reset”. It can also be a time of reconnection and rediscovery, a chance to reconnect with yourself, your needs, and your inner calm.

If your nervous system feels overwhelmed, or if sleep and energy have been disrupted, it’s completely understandable. Feeling this way is a natural response to a busy, demanding period but it doesn’t have to stay this way.

Remember, self-care isn’t a luxury. It’s essential for your physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. You deserve to feel grounded, restored, and ready to meet each day with clarity and calm.

One gentle, meaningful step at a time, I can support you to find your inner balance, reduce overwhelm, and improve sleep, to move forward in ways that feel safe and empowering.

If you’d like to find out more you can contact me for a free 45-minute consultation by email at katie@katiedeacon.co.uk.