The holiday season is often framed as a moment of warmth and reconnection, yet it has a profound influence on how we relate to others in ways that are both emotional and strategic.
Old environments pull us into long-standing patterns, professional routines pause just enough to prompt reflection, and educators and colleagues experience a natural opening to strengthen ties before the new year.
When viewed together, these dynamics reveal how the holidays create a unique context for forming, renewing, and deepening relationships across our personal and professional lives.
How old patterns resurface and influence connection
According to psychologist Dr. Shannon Sauer Zavala, holiday gatherings can activate earlier versions of ourselves. When people return to family homes or familiar settings from childhood, long-established roles tend to surface.
Someone who is confident and decisive in their career may suddenly find themselves quieter or more reactive around relatives. These shifts happen because old contexts are powerful cues, and holiday stress lowers the mental energy required to maintain newer habits.
This emotional pull matters for relationships. When people slip into older dynamics, it becomes harder to assert needs, maintain boundaries, or fully express who they are today.
Yet these regressions are temporary. They simply show how deeply practiced our early behaviors were and how easily they reappear under stress. Understanding this helps people approach holiday interactions with more awareness and more compassion for themselves and others.
How leaders turn reflection into strategic relationship building
While old roles may surface at home, the workplace experiences a different kind of shift. According to leadership expert Paola Cecchi Dimeglio, the holiday season encourages leaders to pause, evaluate their networks, and intentionally strengthen the relationships that matter most. Instead of approaching connection reactively, effective leaders use the slower rhythm of the season to reach out with sincerity, gratitude, and curiosity.
This works because the emotional openness of the season complements professional intentions. When people reconnect during the holidays, messages feel more genuine and less transactional. Small gestures can have an outsized impact, especially when they highlight appreciation or shared progress. Meaningful relationship building often comes from a few simple actions, such as:
- Reconnecting with contacts who have drifted away
- Expressing genuine appreciation or recognition
- Offering support, insight, or collaboration for the year ahead
How colleagues nurture relationships that last
A similar opportunity appears in the workplace settings. According to career and executive coach Marlo Lyons, even during high-pressure periods of grading, planning, and deadlines, purposeful connection can strengthen ties that might otherwise weaken over time.
The holiday season naturally invites review, making it a strong moment to identify which relationships need attention and which should be carried forward more intentionally.
This intentionality aligns closely with the emotional dynamics described earlier. When people feel reflective and more aware of their relational patterns, they are better able to reconnect with authenticity.
A small note to a colleague, a message to a former collaborator, or a brief check-in with a student can renew a relationship and create momentum for the year ahead. Consistency afterward is what transforms these touchpoints into lasting, mutually supportive connections.
So remember: Use the holiday season as a moment of awareness and intention, choosing a few meaningful actions that strengthen the relationships you want to carry forward into the new year.
Written on 22 Dec 2025.
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