The last couple of months of the year are wild. You’ve got school events, family drama, travel plans, financial stress, weather chaos, and possibly twelve versions of the same casserole. People start canceling therapy thinking they need “more time” to get things done.
But let me hit you with the truth bomb:
This is not the time to back off therapy. This is the time to lean in.
Stress Doesn’t Take a Holiday. Neither Should Your Mental Health.
This time of year has a special talent for stirring up everything you thought you already worked through. Grief feels sharper. Anxiety spikes. Family tensions rise. Old habits sneak back in.
You might not be consciously aware of it yet, but your nervous system definitely is.
So instead of ghosting your therapist and hoping your coping skills can handle three holiday meals and a mother-in-law comment about your parenting, consider this:
Book extra sessions now. Give yourself the space to cope ahead.
(https://www.therapyportal.com/p/northsidebhg/)
You’re not being dramatic. You’re being smart.
For Parents: Holiday Break is Not a Free-for-All
Your kids have been in a structured routine since August. Even if they complain about school, it gives them rhythm. Predictability. A place to put all that emotional and physical energy.
Then winter break hits, and suddenly it’s:
Staying up until 2 a.m.
No real meals, just snack waves.
No social outlet except arguing with siblings.
No schedule, no structure, and no idea what day it is.
Sound familiar?
Kids often spiral during long breaks—not because they’re ungrateful or dramatic, but because their internal systems lose the stability they’ve been running on for months.
Here’s what helps:
Keep bedtimes and wake-ups within a reasonable window. No sleeping until 2pm.
Plan one or two “anchor points” in the day (like meals, chores, or activities).
Let them know what to expect. Don’t just spring surprise transitions on them.
If they’re in therapy, don’t cancel. Holiday break is exactly when they need it most.
End-of-Year Is Not the End of the Road
We often treat the last stretch of the year like a lost cause. Like we’ll just “start fresh” in January.
But here’s the deal:
There’s still time to get support.
There’s still time to regulate.
There’s still time to plan and prep instead of panic.
At Northside, we help people cope ahead, because meltdown prevention is better than damage control. Whether you need an extra session to vent before hosting your ex’s cousin for Christmas dinner, or your kid needs a check-in to avoid going full feral during break, we’ve got you.
Book the damn session.
You deserve to finish this year intact, not just upright.
