Holiday Pressures: Triggers, Boundaries & Staying Grounded This Festive Season

Clean Slate Clinic
Nov 19
3 min read

The festive season brings connection, celebration and rest for many. But it can also bring stress, family tension, loneliness and social pressure. These pressures can make it harder to stay grounded and aligned with your recovery goals.

In this masterclass, Clean Slate's Dr Bronwyn Hudson and My Mirror's Rachel Tomlinson unpack why this time of year can feel especially challenging, and share practical tools to help you stay steady when triggers show up.

Watch the recording to learn:

✅ How to recognise emotional, relational and environmental triggers early.

✅ The importance of clarifying your values, goals and intentions for the holiday season.

✅ Practical tools for managing cravings and stress.

✅ Strategies to establish clear boundaries that support wellbeing and ongoing recovery.

✅ Where to access additional support throughout the holiday season.

Resources:

Conversation Scripts For Protecting Your Boundaries

Quick, calm responses you can use to protect your boundaries this holiday season.

Grounding Through Senses Tool

A simple grounding tool that brings you back into the present using sight, touch, sound, smell and taste. Fast, steadying, and great for moments of overwhelm.

Body Scan Mindfulness Exercise

A calming, full-body check-in that helps you slow down, release tension, and reconnect with yourself.

SMART Recovery

Clean Slate Conversations

Clean Slate Conversations (SMART 4-Point Program) are held every day. You have the flexibility to join, or skip these catch-ups, as it suits your schedule. Each session lasts around 90 minutes, and will follow the same format each time.

Yarning at Clean Slate

Yarning at Clean Slate (Yarn SMART) is a weekly online yarning circle for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to share stories and learn simple, evidence-based tools to support their recovery.

*Yarn SMART will not be held on Christmas Day or New Year's Day.

Speakers:

Bronwyn Hudson | Clean Slate Clinic

Dr Bronwyn Hudson is an Addiction Medicine Physician with Clean Slate Clinic. She is passionate about providing non-judgmental, stigma free, evidence based, compassionate medical care to people who use substances. Dr Hudson adopts a trauma-informed, biopsychosocial approach to care which is founded in the principles of harm minimisation. She is also a fellow of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine committed to improving access to services in rural Australia.

Rachel Tomlinson | My Mirror

Rachel Tomlinson is a Registered Psychologist and the Clinical Director at My Mirror. She has nearly a decades worth of experience specifically in mental telehealth service delivery, operations and management and nearly two decades of experience working in mental health and human services. Rachel has worked with a diverse range of clients/presentations/settings, including; drug and alcohol, torture and trauma, humanitarian settlement services, education settings, parenting support programs, disability support services, family and domestic violence and play therapy.

My Mirror is an online psychology service offering fast, flexible access to AHPRA-registered psychologists with no waitlists. Get matched with a psychologist today.