Finding Calm and Connection: Polyvagal Tips for Brain Injury Survivors and Caregivers During the Holidays

The holiday season can be a beautiful time of celebration and gratitude—but for brain injury survivors and their caregivers, it can also bring heightened stress, sensory overload, and emotional fatigue. The pressure to “keep up” with traditions, social expectations, and family dynamics can feel overwhelming.

Fortunately, polyvagal theory offers practical tools to help regulate the nervous system, reduce anxiety, and create space for meaningful connection. Here’s how you can use polyvagal-informed strategies to shift from survival mode to a state of safety, presence, and gratitude.

What Is Polyvagal Theory?

Polyvagal theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, explains how our autonomic nervous system responds to safety and threat. It identifies three key states:

• Ventral Vagal (Safe & Social): Calm, connected, and engaged.
• Sympathetic (Fight or Flight): Anxious, agitated, or overwhelmed.
• Dorsal Vagal (Shutdown): Numb, disconnected, or withdrawn.

The goal is to gently guide ourselves (and each other) toward the ventral vagal state—especially during the holidays.

Top 3 Polyvagal Tips for Holiday Calm

1. Breathwork to Anchor Safety
   Slow, intentional breathing helps signal safety to your nervous system. Try inhaling for 4 counts and exhaling for 6. Pair this with gentle movement like rocking or swaying to deepen the calming effect.
2. Create a Sensory Sanctuary
   Sensory overload is common during the holidays. Designate a quiet space with soft lighting, calming scents, and comforting textures. Tools like noise-canceling headphones, weighted blankets, or soothing music can help regulate sensory input.
3. Co-Regulate Through Connection
   Safe connection with others helps shift the nervous system into a state of calm. Eye contact, gentle touch, and a warm tone of voice are powerful tools. Caregivers: your calm presence can be a healing anchor.

A Note to Caregivers

You are the heartbeat of support. Your nervous system matters too. These tips aren’t just for survivors—they’re for you. Take time to regulate, rest, and connect with your own sources of safety and joy. You deserve it.

Closing Thought

This holiday season, let’s redefine celebration—not by how much we do, but by how deeply we connect. With gentle polyvagal practices, we can create moments of peace, presence, and gratitude that nourish both the brain and heart.

Learn More About Polyvagal Theory and the Vagus Nerve

• Polyvagal Institute – The founding home of polyvagal theory, offering courses, articles, and community events
• Positive Psychology: Polyvagal Theory & Exercises – A comprehensive guide to polyvagal theory and vagus nerve stimulation techniques
• Trauma Therapist Institute – Offers practical polyvagal exercises and insights for emotional regulation
• Mindovix Article on Vagus Nerve – Explores the vagus nerve’s role in emotional and physiological well-being

These sites are great starting points for learning how to support your nervous system and deepen your understanding of healing through connection.

Brittany Stratton, LCSW
Mental Health Counseling Department