Finding Your Peace: A Maine Guide to Holiday Self-Care
By Nancy Dorrans
The holiday season in Maine is nothing short of magical. The scent of pine needles… The soft blanket of snow… The cozy glow of historic coastal towns, where you can see iconic lights like those at Nubble Lighthouse… The classic displays in Kennebunkport, Freeport, and Pandora LaCasse’s colorful winter lights adorning the squares and streets of Portland…
But beneath the sparkle, the season can often feel like a blizzard of commitments, expectations, and stress.
With my family and extended family scattered across the states of Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, the holidays often involve travel. Deciding how, where, when, and if to embark on a Christmas visit can feel like navigating an oncoming blizzard.
Cherished childhood memories swirl with present-day realities. There are logistics of travel, the pressure of expectations, and the sheer mental load of coordinating and attending a distant celebration that can be overwhelming.
This holiday season, I’m planning to give myself the gift of genuine self-care. I’ve done some digging and come up with a short list of three effective, easy-to-implement tips to help navigate the next few weeks with grace and calm.
I’m planning to work hard to put these holiday self-care tips into practice. I encourage you to do so as well. If you find yourself trading the serene quiet of a coastal winter for a blizzard of perpetual hustle, it’s time to anchor yourself and give yourself the gift of self-care! Join me…
Holiday Self-Care Tips
Tip 1: The Power of the Pause. (30-Second Breathing Exercise)
Sometimes, the best self-care tip is the simplest: just breathe. When your to-do list seems as long as the drive from Eliot to Eastport, just stop. Don’t add another item, don’t rush to the next task. Just pause.
Find a quiet spot, whether it’s looking out over Casco Bay, listening to the surf at Pine Point, or by simply closing your eyes and practice this quick 30-second breathing exercise.
- Inhale slowly for a count of four, filling your lungs completely. Picture the crisp, clean air of a winter morning entering your body.
- Hold for a count of four.
- Exhale slowly for a count of six, letting go of tension, rushing thoughts, and the pressure of the season.
- Repeat this cycle a few times.
This exercise resets your nervous system and gives you back control—all in the time it takes to brew a quick cup of coffee.
Tip 2: Holding onto Calm (60-Second Stress Management Exercise)
The holidays often bring intangible stresses, but this exercise, shared by life coach Shanna Pranaitis, grounds you in a tangible reality. It requires nothing more than a small, ordinary object—a smooth beach stone you picked up in Acadia, a pinecone from your yard, or even a simple house key.
- Hold the object in your non-dominant hand.
- Spend one full minute focusing all your attention on it.
- Notice the texture (smooth, rough, ridged), the temperature (cool, warm), the weight, and the shape.
- The object serves as a physical anchor, pulling your hyper-focus away from the racing thoughts of obligations and redirecting it to the present moment. If your mind wanders to wrapping gifts or organizing a potluck, gently bring it back to the stone in your hand.
It’s a powerful, 60-second exercise that interrupts the stress cycle, much like the quiet, comforting rhythm of waves on a winter beach.
Tip 3: Charting Your Own Course (Permission to Wander)
In the push for maximum efficiency during the holidays, we often become task-oriented machines, moving from one activity to the next without a break. Research shows there are incredible benefits from letting your mind wander, including improved mental health, boosted creativity, and better problem-solving skills.
This is your official permission to simply be. Take a slow, aimless drive. Let your thoughts drift during a walk in the woods or spend an hour looking through old photo albums without a specific goal.
Allowing your mind to roam freely is a necessary release valve, letting your subconscious process the mental clutter of the season without conscious effort. Sometimes the best path is the one less traveled—or the one you haven’t decided on yet.
A Gift to Yourself
The holidays are meant to be a time of joy, connection, and renewal. It may seem selfish, but by incorporating these small acts of self-care you are protecting—not reducing—the magic of the season.
This year choose to be kind to yourself. We deserve a peaceful, grounded, and genuinely happy holiday. And wherever it takes us, let’s do our best to find the peace and joy in the season!
Nancy Dorrans is a travel advisor and group coordinator based in Portland, Maine. She is currently escorting her annual New York City Adventure Marketplace tour, kicking off the holiday season in style! Save the Dates for 2026 – Dec 3-6th! Ho, Ho, Ho….
