When things are less Silent Night and more up all night, it’s time to get Christmas back on your wellbeing wish list. Here’s our guide to tackling the Twelve Triggers of Christmas – practical tips and natural support to help you stay calm, rested, and emotionally ready.
Trigger 1: Sensory Overload
The hidden driver behind holiday overwhelming
December cranks up the sensory volume - social demands, family tensions and money worries all spike. This can raise cortisol and tip your body into fight-or-flight mode.
Your calm go-to:
- Build in ‘quiet pockets’: a 10-minute walk, a phone-free tea break, belting out a Christmas tune while wearing a jumper backwards – whatever floats your festive boat.
- A brief mindfulness moment - even 60 seconds of noticing your breath or your feet on the ground - can help bring your nervous system back into calm territory when everything feels a bit too loud.
“Short breaks can reset the nervous system, helping you respond rather than react to holiday stress,” says Sophia, The Naked Pharmacy, Registered Pharmacist
Trigger 2: Emotional Whiplash
Festive joy one minute, irritation the next
Mood swings at Christmas aren’t personality – they’re physiology. Overload plus poor sleep overstimulates the nervous system.
Natural support:
- Saffrosun Calm contains pharmaceutical-strength saffron extract. Clinical studies show saffron supports serotonin activity and emotional resilience - ideal if you prefer natural ways to manage Christmas stress rather than relying on caffeine and a big dose of stoicism.
- Pair with Marine Magnesium, a gentle option for supporting relaxation during those more intense festive moments.
“When the nervous system is firing constantly, small, consistent resets and gentle, natural support will help stabilise mood,” adds Sophia.
Trigger 3: Sleep Sabotage
Why festive chaos ruins rest
Late nights, heavy food and overstimulated kids create the perfect storm for poor sleep. Magnesium is a great help for many because of its calming effect on the nervous system. Studies link magnesium with sleep quality, duration and daytime alertness.
Note: The NHS notes very high doses (over 400 mg/day) can cause stomach upset, so stick to recommended ranges.
Tip:
- Take Marine Magnesium 20 minutes before bed to relax muscles and steady the nervous system.
- Keep bedtime routines consistent where possible.
“Magnesium is often depleted in modern diets, and low levels can contribute to feeling wired but tired,” explains Sophia.
Trigger 4: Too Many Commitments
Festive burnout is real
December can feel like an endurance event of concerts, parties, meetups and last-minute errands.
Tip: Pace yourself to protect your seasonal wellbeing. Think triple p’s:
- Plan realistically,
- Protect your downtime, and
- Prevent cramming in “just one more thing”.
Trigger 5: Blood Sugar Whiplash
Why festive food means festive mood swings
Feasting and grazing send blood sugar soaring, then crashing - taking your mood and energy with it.
Tip for staying relaxed:
- Balance sweet treats with fibre and protein, and hydrate regularly.
- Saffrosun Calm will support emotional steadiness during busy days.
- Metabolic Gold helps maintain balanced energy after indulgent meals.
“High cortisol from stress can affect insulin response, which is why balancing meals with protein and fibre alongside daily Metabolic Gold helps avoid the spike-and-crash cycle,” says Sophia.
Trigger 6: Children in Overdrive
Supporting emotional balance for little ones
Routines vanish, sugar rises, excitement spikes - children feel this intensely. Charity YoungMinds highlights that Christmas can trigger anxiety in kids due to unpredictability, social pressure and sensory overload.
Natural support for children:
- Saffrosun for Children uses gentle saffron extract and key vitamins to help support mood and focus.
- Maintain clear communication and create little pockets of predictability where you can.
“Even small routines can help children feel calmer and more secure,” notes Sophia.
Trigger 7: Broken Routines
Circadian chaos and why it matters
Your body (and your child’s) thrives on predictability. December, like a naughty elf, gleefully ignores this.
Children’s charities consistently emphasise keeping some structure - particularly around meals and bedtime - to reduce anxiety and restore stability.
Two anchors:
- Regular mealtimes
- A consistent bedtime
“Even minor routine adjustments can make a noticeable difference to wellbeing,” says Sophia.
Trigger 8: Family Dynamics
Emotional triggers we all politely overlook
Even the happiest families can come a cropper to the ghost of Christmas grumps. Loneliness, grief and forced socialising can heighten emotional strain even further.
Support suggestions:
- Saffrosun Calm taken regularly creates a stable mood
- A brisk walk for some time out, before a tricky conversation
- A pre-agreed ‘time out’ signal with a partner, friend or child
Trigger 9: Zero Time Alone
Why solitude is essential self-care
Constant social exposure – even with people you adore, can leave you drained.
Tip:
- Step away to reset, even for a few minutes
- Say no when needed
“Micro-breaks help shift your body back to a calmer, parasympathetic state,” explains Sophia.
Trigger 10: Mental Overload
When your brain can’t juggle one more thing
Shopping, cooking, wrapping (and forever looking for that lost end of the Sellotape), hosting … all this cognitive overload leads to anxiety and decision fatigue.
Tip:
- Break tasks down into micro-lists
- Ask for help
- Use natural support: Saffrosun Calm taken daily will help you stay focused and emotionally balanced.
“The brain works best when the body is calm; overload can lead to fatigue and brain fog,” says Sophia.
Trigger 11: Pressure to Create a “Perfect” Christmas
The perfectionism trap
Perfection is not festive - it’s exhausting. Striving for a flawless day makes Christmas feel daunting not just for the host, but for those feeling the vibe all around.
Festive wellness tip:
- Good enough and happy beats perfect and stressed
- Shared moments matter more than coordinated napkins
Trigger 12: Forgetting Yourself Completely
The most common, and most avoidable, mistake:
You do everything for everyone else yet little for yourself.
Natural support:
- Saffrosun Calm for mood and resilience
- Marine Magnesium for relaxation
- Metabolic Gold for those sugar cravings and crashes
- Saffrosun for Children for steadier little nervous systems
- Pair with sleep, nutritious food, gentle movement, and reasonable boundaries for a holistic approach to festive calm.
Create the Calm Christmas You Deserve
Christmas wellbeing isn’t about doing less - it’s about doing differently. With small resets, natural support, and simple habits, you can stay balanced, rested, and emotionally steady, even when things get chaotic.
Here’s to a Christmas sparkle (not frazzle).
