Kim Dunakey, BSN NC-BC

Motherhood is often described as selfless, a role where we are expected to give endlessly, love unconditionally, and pour ourselves out until we are empty.
For a long time, I believed that.
I spent years shrinking myself, believing that my worth was tied to how well I could sacrifice for others—my husband, my children, my family, my community. I thought that if I was selfless enough, good enough, obedient enough, then maybe I would be worthy of love.

Do you feel stuck in an endless cycle of pushing, striving and never-ending struggle to make things happen? Or maybe you find yourself at the other end of the spectrum- so deeply in tune with your intuitive side and creativity that you have a difficult time making anything actually happen. If either of these sound at all familiar, you may have been feeling the imbalance between your divine masculine and feminine energies.

I’ll never forget the day in the OR when I realized something had to change. I’d been a nurse for over a decade, searching for the role that would fulfill my desire to help people truly heal. A vascular patient returned for another, more invasive procedure on that particular day. His condition, worsened by lifestyle choices like smoking and uncontrolled diabetes, now required surgery that would likely lead to amputation.

The holidays are often portrayed as a time of joy, connection, and celebration. Yet for many of us, they bring stress, overwhelm, and the sense of being pulled in every direction. The pressure to be everything to everyone leaves little room for our own sense of peace. But what if staying grounded could transform the holiday chaos into moments of deep connection and joy? Here are seven simple yet powerful practices to keep you grounded this season no matter who or what you celebrate.

Thinking back to who I was before my somatic and energy work, the transformation is shocking. I was living my life from behind a wall of my own creation. This wall had grown so tall it took a massive effort to get through or over. A wall I thought created safety, but in reality, it only made me lonely and kept me in a constant state of anxiety. The wall had been constructed stone by stone throughout my life, a common response to trauma. Without processing our traumas, we all find ways to cope, and my way was the wall.