When Holidays Trigger Old Wounds: Finding Peace in a Season That Stirs Up More Than Joy

The holiday season can be beautiful, but it can also awaken memories, expectations, and emotional triggers we didn’t ask for. In this honest and deeply grounding episode, Coach Gigi explores why the holidays often stir old wounds, how emotional labor takes a toll on the mind and body, and how to stay centered when stress, disappointment, or pressure tries to steal your peace.

You’ll hear a vulnerable personal story about carrying the weight of Christmas for years — cooking, hosting, giving, showing up — while feeling unseen, overwhelmed, and emotionally stretched thin. You’ll learn why your nervous system reacts the way it does during stressful seasons, how trauma memories show up, and how to hold space for yourself while still honoring God and your healing journey.

This episode blends biblical wisdom, mental health insight, grounding techniques, guided reflection, and prayer to help you move through the holidays with honesty, rest, and grace.

Topics in this episode:

• Why holidays trigger emotional and spiritual memories

• The weight of invisible labor during high-pressure seasons

• Feeling unseen, unappreciated, or emotionally overloaded

• How trauma responses show up in the body

• What biblical peace looks like under pressure

• Grounding practices for real-time overwhelm

• Reflection questions to deepen emotional clarity

• A prayer for protection, comfort, and holiday peace

• Safety + support resources

FOCUS: Faith & Mental Health, Inc.

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting women, children, and families through trauma-informed care, mental health education, and community programs.

Support the mission or donate at:

👉 https://focusfaithmentalhealth.com

Amazon Wish List for our Year-Round Fill-A-Backpack Initiative:

👉 https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/19CEUZIY3WJ6X?ref_=wl_share

Books by Geleta “Gigi” Parker on Amazon:

• Beautifully Broken

👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CL1D2RZK

• Catch & Release: Seeds of Deception

👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJLZ7F1P

• My Body Is God’s Gift

👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D37NPDX1

• Jesus, Lover of My Soul: Helping Women Worship Through Grief

👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D4S6V1HS

Safety Resources:

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233

Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988

Music Credit:

Be Still and Know That I Am God

Written and composed by Geleta “Gigi” Parker.

Arrangement and piano accompaniment by DaBarry Thompson.