187: Finding Your Way Back to Peace This Holiday Season

The Best of You

Dr. Alison Cook

Mental Health, Health & Fitness

4.9 • 959 Ratings

🗓️ 11 December 2025

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

If the holidays bring up a lot for you, old roles, old emotions, or the pressure to keep everyone happy, you’re not alone. Christmas has a way of activating the patterns and survival strategies that once helped you feel safe, pleasing, perfecting, over-functioning, or shutting down. In this episode, Dr. Alison Cook shares how these patterns show up in her own life, why they resurface, and how you can gently find your way back to peace. You’ll learn: the 3 types of needs that get tangled inside why holiday dynamics awaken old wounds and responses a simple way to return to the place of peace at your center how to redefine “success” this holiday season 🎄This Christmas, gift a loved one (or yourself) Dr Alison’s latest book, The Best of You! 📥 Grab your 3 free Boundaries For Your Soul resources here 📥 Download Alison’s free printable with the five boundary tools when you sign up for her weekly email. If you liked this episode, you’ll love: Episode 131: Navigating Holiday Emotions Episode 135: Tackling Holiday People Pleasing 📖 Find a full transcript and list of resources from this episode here 💬 Got a question? Call 307-429-2525 and leave a message for a future episode. Thanks to our Sponsors! Go to ⁠Quince.com/bestofyou⁠ for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! If you’re looking for a Bible that helps you live the Word, not just read it, then grab this beautiful one I’m currently using at NIVapplicationbible.com. Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code BESTOFYOU to get UP TO $300 off today! Give online therapy, brought to you by betterhelp.com/BESTOFYOU and get on your way to being your best self. Give your loved ones a unique keepsake you’ll all cherish for years, visit StoryWorth.com/BESTOFYOU to save $10 on your order. Go to shopremi.com/BESTOFYOU and use code BESTOFYOU at checkout for 55% off a new night guard plus a FREE foam gift that whitens your teeth and cleans your nightguard. *Some of the links above are Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍ © 2025 Alison Cook. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Please do not copy or share the contents of this webpage or transcript without permission from the author. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Please hear me say this clearly. Nothing is wrong with you. Truly. This time of year simply shines a brighter light on the inner world you carry every day.
0:10.7	You don't need a long quiet time or a perfectly structured ritual or long hours to come back to center.
0:18.5	Most days, all you need is two minutes. This is one of the most beautiful
0:23.0	truths of the spiritual life of Christmas. God doesn't meet us in the performance of the season,
0:29.4	not in the perfect gathering or the perfectly managed emotions or the beautiful candlelit room.
0:34.1	God meets us in the center of the storm within ourselves, in the place
0:39.4	inside where you can finally exhale and simply draw near to God.
0:56.6	This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. The holidays are full of traditions, some we love, and some we quietly outgrow.
1:01.1	Lately, I've been thinking about the ones I love and the ones I might want to rewrite.
1:05.4	Small things like creating a new ritual with my family or choosing one moment each day just to do something sacred for my own
1:13.2	soul. And honestly, therapy has become part of that for me. It's a way to make sure I'm taking
1:18.0	care of myself during a season that is so often joyful, but can also be stressful, chaotic,
1:23.6	and even lonely. If you're thinking about starting therapy, consider Better Help. That's Better Help,
1:29.2	H-E-L-P. Their therapists are fully licensed in the U.S. and follow a strict code of ethics. They make
1:34.6	getting started simple. You fill out a short questionnaire, which helps match you with someone
1:38.8	who fits your needs, and if the match isn't right, you can switch anytime. With over 30,000
1:43.3	therapists and more than
1:44.1	5 million people serve the platform as an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 from over 1.7 million
1:49.9	session reviews. This December, start a new tradition by taking care of you. Our listeners get
1:55.4	10% off at betterhelp.com slash best of you. That's better help.com slash best of you.
2:05.9	Hey everyone. And welcome back to this week's episode of the best of you. We are quickly
2:13.2	approaching Christmas and I know so many of you, if you're anything like me, are feeling the swirl
	...

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