The Holidays and High Sensitivity

Pacing for the Highly Sensitive during the Seasonal Holidays: How to Stay Grounded in a Season of Sensory Overload

For many highly sensitive people (HSPs), the Christmas and holiday season is a time of mixed emotions. While there’s joy, connection, and sparkle in the air, there’s also pressure, noise, crowds, expectations, and a calendar that seems to fill itself. When you naturally process more deeply and feel more intensely, this season can tip from delightful to overwhelming faster than you expect. The key to staying balanced is pacing—something simple in theory, but transformative in practice.

Start by Acknowledging Your Sensitivity as a Strength

Being highly sensitive isn’t a flaw to work around; it’s a trait that allows you to feel meaning, beauty, and empathy more fully. But sensitivity also means your energy drains faster in overstimulating environments. Accepting that truth upfront allows you to plan for the holidays realistically instead of pushing yourself into exhaustion. Give yourself permission to experience the season in a way that supports your wellbeing, even if it looks different from others.

Create Space Around the Calendar, Not Inside ItI

Instead of squeezing recovery into the gaps between events, build your calendar around the recovery you know you’ll need. If a party is planned for Friday night, block out Saturday morning—or the entire day—before you agree to anything else. If you travel to see family, include decompression time before and after the journey. Pacing as an HSP means intentionally preventing back-to-back stimulation, not trying to bounce back afterward.

Keep the Season Simple Where You Can

Overcommitment is the fastest route to overstimulation. Simplifying doesn’t diminish the holidays; it makes them more meaningful. Opt for gifting approaches that reduce mental load—group gifts, experience gifts, gift cards, or a shared family Secret Santa. Scale back baking or decorating if they feel more like pressure than pleasure. Say no kindly but firmly to optional events, remembering that every “no” is also a “yes” to maintaining your peace.

Build in Sensory Safety Nets

Holiday environments are often louder, brighter, and busier than everyday life. Prepare ways to soften the sensory demands: bring noise-reducing earbuds to gatherings, drive separately so you can leave when needed, take short walks outside during family events, choose seating near an exit, or keep lighting gentle at home to create a calming base. These tiny choices help your nervous system stay in the “safe” zone.

Stay Connected to Your Body’s Signals

HSP burnout often happens because we notice our overload too late. Throughout the season, check in with your body: Is your jaw tight? Is your heart racing? Are you holding your breath? These cues tell you when to pause. Even two minutes of deep breathing or a short break alone can reset your system before stress accumulates.

Let Presence Be the Goal, Not Performance

At its heart, the holiday season is about connection—not doing, buying, impressing, or presenting. When you protect your energy, you show up more authentically to the moments that matter. Pacing allows you to savor the season’s warmth instead of merely surviving it.

For highly sensitive people, the holidays can be both magical and intense—but with thoughtful pacing, they can feel peaceful, meaningful, and truly restorative.