Shelley Treacher Underground Confidence Recovery
Shelley Treacher Stress & Anxiety Recovery
Family Stress at Christmas: Why Old Patterns Come Back
Family Stress at Christmas: Why Old Patterns Come Back
Family Stress at Christmas: Why Old Patterns Come Back
Thursday 18th December 2025
Explore why family stress intensifies at Christmas and how old patterns resurface. Shelley Treacher offers insights on navigating holiday emotions.
14 minutes
Inspiring
Informative
Compassionate
Encouraging
Healing
About this podcast
Author:
Shelley Treacher Underground Confidence Recovery
Overview:
Categories:
Recovery from Trauma
Sobriety Toolkit
Healing Relationships
Navigating Intimate Relationships
Understanding Addiction & Recovery
Links:
Visit site
Episodes:
112 (View all)
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!Why Family Stress Peaks at Christmas: Unpacking Old Patterns
Episode Overview
- Family environments can trigger old emotional patterns.
- Relaxation isn't immediate; it requires gradual transition.
- Stress and relaxation are not opposites; they exist on a spectrum.
- Simple, sensory activities can aid in calming down.
- Slowing down helps break the cycle of stress.
"Our bodies remember that familiar environment. We remember the roles that we felt we had to learn and play in order to protect ourselves."
Christmas is a time of joy, but it can also stir up stress and old family dynamics that many of us thought we had left behind. In this heartfelt episode, Shelley Treacher, a BACP Accredited Somatic Psychotherapist, takes listeners on a reflective journey through the emotional rollercoaster that is the holiday season. She explores how our nervous systems remember the environments we grew up in and how these memories can trigger old roles and responses when we're around family.
It's like a Groundhog Day of emotions, where the same patterns resurface year after year. Shelley shares relatable anecdotes about the pressure to relax and the often awkward transition from stress to calm. She humorously describes her own struggles with relaxation, likening it to a wobbly walk up a hill rather than a straight path.
Her tales of shoulder tension interfering with salsa dancing and the curious story of a woman spending £120 on goat pellets for wellbeing are both amusing and enlightening. The episode also features the timeless fable of the Town Mouse and the Country Mouse, reminding us that sometimes safety and simplicity are more valuable than luxury. Shelley's new foster cat serves as a gentle reminder that slowing down and staying still can be the key to feeling safe and regulated.
If you're finding Christmas stressful or if old family dynamics are rearing their heads, this episode offers comforting advice and a reminder that it's okay to take things slow. So, how do you plan to find your calm this holiday season?