Don’t Let Holiday Stress Turn Into Pain: 3 Simple Strategies to Stay Healthy in Portsmouth, NH

The holidays are meant to feel warm, festive, and joyful. But for many people here in Portsmouth and the Seacoast area, they also bring a level of stress your body can’t help but absorb. Between shopping, hosting, traveling, and trying to squeeze everything in, your nervous system can go into overdrive. And when that happens, stress often shows up physically — tight shoulders, a stiff neck, a cranky low back, or even tension headaches.

The good news? You can interrupt this cycle with a few simple habits. These strategies can help you keep holiday stress from turning into neck, shoulder, or back pain — and they’re easy to start right away.

1. Try Belly Breathing to Reset Your Body’s Alarm System

When stress rises, your breathing becomes shallow. You might not notice it, but your brain definitely does. Shallow breathing tells your nervous system that you’re under pressure, and your muscles respond by tightening. I personally feel this tension through my rib cage and into my neck when it gets bad enough.

Just one or two minutes of deep, intentional breathing can reverse this entire pattern.

Wherever you are — in the car, standing in line on Congress Street, or even at a holiday party — try this:

✔ Take a slow inhale.
Fill your belly, sides, and lower back with air.

✔ Exhale naturally.
Let the air fall out without force.

Each deep breath acts like a reset button for your nervous system. It helps stop tension from turning into knots, spasms, or lingering pain in your neck or lower back.

2. Practice Gratitude (It Physically Changes Your Stress Levels)

Gratitude isn’t just a feel-good idea. It’s a simple mindset shift that has measurable effects on your body.

When you pause to focus on something positive, your brain reduces its release of cortisol — your main stress hormone. Lower cortisol leads to:

Lower muscle tension
Happier blood pressure
Better sleep
Less strain on your neck, back, and hips

A gratitude practice doesn’t need to be fancy. It can be as simple as:

Thinking of one thing you appreciate while drinking your morning coffee
Writing a single sentence in a journal before bed
Setting a daily alarm to remind yourself of something good

These tiny moments tell your body: “You’re safe. You can relax.” Your muscles respond in kind.

3. Move Daily to Break the Stress Cycle

Chronic stress triggers your fight-or-flight system. It’s helpful if you’re running from danger — but in modern life, most of our stress comes from calendars, inboxes, and long to-do lists. If that stress energy has nowhere to go, it lingers in your body as muscle tension.

Movement is how you release it.

Personally, I love walking around Portsmouth and the Seacoast. I aim for 10,000 steps a day. When the weather is too cold or I’m stuck on Zoom, I use a walking pad. I always feel better afterward.

But walking isn’t the only option. You can also:

Go to the gym
Stretch for a few minutes
Run up and down your stairs
Do 30–60 seconds of jumping jacks

Just 5–10 minutes at a time is enough to tell your brain the stress has passed. Once that happens, your cortisol levels naturally come back down — and tension is less likely to settle in your joints, neck, or back.

Your Body Will Thank You

You may not be able to eliminate holiday stress (and if you figure out how, please let me know!) — but you can prevent it from turning into pain. Small habits, repeated throughout the season, make a huge difference. And you can keep using these same habits long after the holidays.

But if you’re already dealing with significant tightness or pain that isn’t improving, these strategies might not be enough on their own. A mechanical pain specialist can help you identify the true root cause, calm things down quickly, and give you a clear plan so you enter the New Year feeling better — not worse.

If you need help or guidance, we’re here for you.

Dr. Carrie Jose, Physical Therapy Specialist & Mechanical Pain Expert, writes for Seacoast Media Group and helps people on the Seacoast get rid of back, neck, hip, and shoulder pain naturally.

For more resources or to get in touch, visit www.cjphysicaltherapy.com or call 603-380-7902.

Is Your Neck the Hidden Cause of Your Headaches? Here’s How to Tell

By Dr. Carrie Jose, Physical Therapy Specialist | CJ Physical Therapy & Pilates, Portsmouth, NH

Headaches are one of the most common and frustrating problems people face — affecting almost half the population at some point in their lives. If you get them regularly, you already know how much they can interfere with your work, sleep, and overall energy.

What makes managing headaches so tricky is how often they’re misdiagnosed. Many people are told they have a primary headache disorder — like migraines, tension headaches, or cluster headaches — when the real problem is secondary, meaning it’s caused by something else in your body.

One of the most overlooked culprits? Your neck.
A type of secondary headache known as a cervicogenic headache actually originates from your cervical spine (neck). It’s often mistaken for migraines or tension headaches — but the treatment approach is very different.

5 Signs Your Headaches May Be Coming from Your Neck

1. Your headaches worsen with certain neck movements

If turning or tilting your head seems to trigger your headaches — or if they start after holding your head in one position too long (like sitting at a desk or bar) — that’s a clear sign your neck could be the source.
When specific motions or postures worsen your pain, it’s a strong indication your headaches are cervicogenic.

2. You notice stiffness or restricted motion in your neck

If your neck feels stiff or it’s hard to look over your shoulder, that loss of mobility could be fueling your headaches. When neck joints don’t move freely, surrounding muscles and nerves can become irritated — creating pain that mimics a tension headache. Restoring neck mobility can relieve this irritation and stop headaches at their source.

3. Your neck muscles are frequently tender or tight

Persistent tightness around your neck and shoulders often goes hand-in-hand with cervicogenic headaches. This can come from posture issues, stress, or fatigue — but often there’s a deeper mechanical cause.
When that’s addressed, the tightness and resulting headaches fade naturally.

4. You feel your headache at the base of your skull or down one side

If your headaches begin at the base of your neck and travel upward or down into your shoulder blade, it’s almost a sure sign your neck is involved. These patterns match the nerve pathways from your cervical spine — a common clue for cervicogenic headaches.

5. Massage or chiropractic adjustments help — but only temporarily

If you feel better after a massage or adjustment, but your headaches return, that’s a strong clue your neck needs a mechanical assessment. Hands-on care offers short-term relief — but combining it with corrective exercises that restore neck mobility and strength provides lasting results.

What to Do Next

If you’ve been battling stubborn headaches and haven’t had your neck evaluated — it’s time. Cervicogenic headaches are often overlooked but very treatable when you address the true source.

The good news? If your headaches are caused by your neck, you can manage them naturally — without pills, injections, or procedures.

Working with a specialist who understands the mechanical causes of neck-related headaches can help you find lasting relief and regain control of your life.

Ready to discover if your headaches are neck-related?
Request a Free Discovery Consultation at CJ Physical Therapy & Pilates in Portsmouth, NH, or call 603-380-7902to speak with our team.

About Dr. Carrie Jose

Dr. Carrie Jose is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Mechanical Pain Expert, specializing in helping people in the Seacoast area find natural, long-term solutions for pain — without relying on pills, injections, or surgery.

She is the owner of CJ Physical Therapy & Pilates in Portsmouth, NH, and writes regularly for Seacoast Media Group on topics related to physical health, pain prevention, and natural movement.

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