Los Angeles Anxiety Therapist Talks Holiday Rituals to Calm an Anxious Mind- Spotlight #3
Gentle holiday rituals and grounding gift ideas for folks who are feeling overwhelmed as leaders, recommended by a Leadership Coach. Written by an Anxiety Therapist in Los Angeles, CA.
As an anxiety therapist in Los Angeles, CA who supports First Gen, BIPOC, and Queer communities, I know how overwhelming the holiday season can feel. The pressure of past experiences, family expectations, and even the gift-giving process can bring up anxiety or lead to procrastination. If you’re feeling disconnected this holiday season, you may also appreciate my recent post on holiday emotional overwhelm.
That’s why I’m sharing rituals and gift ideas from healers in our community—practitioners who help people slow down, breathe deeper, and return to their bodies. Their perspectives offer simple ways to choose gifts or practices that support grounding, whether for yourself, your loved ones, or your family.
If you missed Spotlight #1 with Elaine Luna, LMFT, you can read it here.
If you missed Spotlight#2 with Kimberly Munoz, The Faithful Doula, you can read it here.
Grounding Rituals for Overwhelmed Leaders
The holidays mark the end of year, where it can be hard to reflect and pause, especially for first gen folks who were never taught how restorative self-care can be. For those in leadership roles, it can be especially challenging to think of themselves during this time. As an anxiety therapist in Los Angeles, CA, I often see how the pressure to do more, be productive, and “hold it together” can make it hard to give yourself permission to rest—even when your body and mind are signaling the need to slow down.
We close the Holiday Ritual Guide, with a focus on a leadership coach whose work centers on nervous system restoration and grounding practices for people in leadership roles. These rituals and gifts are meant to support all leaders, including folks part of the LGBTQIA community, during this holiday season.
Her approach reminds us that, as first gen individuals, we are deserving of grounding rituals and gifts that are gentle, accessible, and deeply caring.
Spotlight on Atalie Oliva (She/Her), Leadership Coach — The Bitter Woman
Atalie offers leadership coaching for overwhelmed leaders who are ready to lead with peace and corazón.
Who She Supports: Leadership Coaching for Overwhelmed Leaders
Atalie offers leadership coaching for overwhelmed leaders who are ready to lead with peace and corazón. Her work centers healing-centered practices that support nervous system restoration and regulation. She feels especially called to serve first-generation, eldest daughters, but also provides services for those part of the LGBTQIA community, who are in leadership roles within government and nonprofit spaces.
—Those who carry responsibility early and often at the cost of rest.
Gifts and Rituals That Support the Nervous System
A Grounding Ritual for Overstimulated or Anxious Leaders
Rather than a traditional gift, Atalie names care in the form of being held in a safe and judgment-free space—one where stories can be shared without needing to perform, explain, or fix.
One grounding ritual she often returns to is an intentional, unhurried shower. Letting warm water soften the body, moving slowly, and touching the body with care becomes a way to release what’s been held. This simple ritual invites rest, slowness, and nervous system regulation—especially for those who struggle to pause.
A Boundary as a Grounding Gift
Atalie Oliva, The Bitter Woman, shares how releasing the pattern of pleasing others opened space for a different kind of meaning.
Atalie also names saying “no” as one of the most regulating gifts someone can offer themselves during the holidays. Whether it’s declining a family event or setting a boundary at work, creating space to rest and reflect is an act of care—one that honors the body’s limits and allows new traditions to form.
As she reflects, holidays were once about pleasing others, often leaving her depleted. Releasing that pattern opened space for a different kind of meaning—one not centered on consumption and depletion.
She recommends for this holiday season to ask yourself, “Where can you create new traditions that honor your needs?”
Holiday Wisdom from a Leadership Coach for Overwhelmed Leaders
A message to those feeling the weight of anxiety or on edge this season:“Take a moment to pause and see what it's trying to tell you.”
Listening—rather than pushing through—can be the first step toward grounding.
Connect With Atalie Oliva, The Bitter Woman
Learn More or Follow Her Work
Instagram: @healwithatalie | @tbw.network
Website: www.thebitterwoman.com
Holidays Can Be Grounding for an Anxious Mind
As we conclude this series, my hope is that you stay with this message: the holidays do not have to be a time to focus only on others. They can also be an invitation to pour into yourself in small, intentional ways. It is possible to create moments of calm in the midst of work responsibilities, family dynamics, friendships, and relationships.
You can choose a different way of moving through this season, one that doesn’t require pushing through exhaustion or holding everything together just to keep things moving.
You deserve rest and self-nourishment, whether that means leaning into support or giving yourself permission to slow down.
Work with an Anxiety Therapist in Los Angeles, CA
If anxiety, emotional overload, or burnout feels louder during this season, you don’t have to navigate it by yourself. As an anxiety therapist in Los Angeles, CA, I support first-generation, BIPOC, and Queer adults who are ready to stop carrying everything alone and want a more compassionate relationship with themselves and their relationships.
If you’re curious about what healing could look like for you, I’d invite you to explore the possibility of working together. Schedule a Free Consultation at (323) 493-6644 or Book Here.
Ligia Orellana, LMFT (#122659)
I’m an anxiety therapist in Los Angeles, California, certified in LGBTQ+ Affirmative Therapy and Somatic Attachment Therapy. I help first-generation BIPOC and Queer adults who feel the pressure to hold it all together move through self-doubt, anxiety, and relationship struggles. My work creates space for deeper connection and self-trust through emotional safety and cultural understanding.
Learn more about my work with relationship stress, people-pleasing and self-doubt, and online therapy, or visit my About page to learn more.
