The holiday season is often described as “the most wonderful time of the year,” yet many people quietly experience something very different. The pressure to feel joyful can collide with financial stress, year-end deadlines, complex family dynamics or the ache of missing someone beloved. For some, December’s celebrations—from Christmas to Hanukkah to Diwali to the turning of a new year—bring warmth and connection. For others, they highlight exhaustion, imbalance or grief.

Neuroscience shows that joy isn’t something we stumble into—it’s something we can cultivate. And a powerful way to do that is to create a mental reset before the season sweeps us away. A reset doesn’t mean ignoring real challenges. It means intentionally shifting our internal state so joy becomes more available, grounded and genuine.

Below are three research-supported practices that help soften stress, replenish energy and restore access to joy.

1. Seek the delight.

Many holiday traditions are meaningful, but others are inherited routines that no longer fit. When life feels heavy, repeated obligations can drain energy. Choosing what brings genuine delight—and releasing what doesn’t—creates space for ease. This might mean simplifying gift exchanges, scaling back commitments or making room for quiet moments that nourish the spirit.

2. Practice gratitude to rewire the brain.

Research from Harvard suggests that writing down three things you’re grateful for each day, consistently for 21 days, can boost dopamine and serotonin, reduce stress and shift the brain toward a more positive default state. Gratitude doesn’t deny difficulty; it restores balance and strengthens resilience.

3. Choose presence over presents.

December often moves at high speed, but the most meaningful moments are usually the ones of connection. Slowing down, listening deeply and focusing on shared experiences can reduce overwhelm and heighten joy.

A reset works because stress constricts the brain, limiting creativity and emotional flexibility. Intentional shifts—seeking delight, practicing gratitude and slowing down enough to be present—help move the nervous system from surviving to thriving.

For some, stress patterns become so deeply embedded that choosing joy feels out of reach. In these cases, the nervous system may benefit from additional support beyond lifestyle changes alone. Cereset Westport offers a noninvasive technology that uses the brain’s own patterns to encourage relaxation, balance and release of accumulated stress. The approach is designed to support natural regulation rather than override it, with many clients reporting improvements in sleep, increased calm and renewed emotional resilience.

Crista Mathew, owner of Cereset Westport, helps clients release stress naturally with Cereset’s patented BrainEcho technology. Mention this article to receive $180 off an initial series. Sessions must be booked in December and completed by March 31. 

Location: 18 Kings Hwy. N., Westport. Call 203-557-3299. Email [email protected] or visit Cereset.com/centers/cereset-westport to book your sessions today. See ad, page 15.

Cereset Westport - 18 Kings Hwy N, Westport, CT

Cereset (Cerebrum + Reset) is a proven technology that helps the brain to relax, rebalance and reset itself naturally by listening to its own echo. A relaxed and balanced brain helps cli... Read More »