Are you struggling to manage holiday stress? 

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the jingling chaos of the holiday season? You’re not alone!

The holidays can add a huge load on us moms. Recently, I found myself overwhelmed, so I took my own advice from the Self-Assured Motherhood program: I paused, assessed my mental load, and eliminated what I could. One of those items was this episode, which I entrusted to my wise, capable team members. And, let me tell you, they stepped up and delivered!

This week, 4 of my team members – Molly, Christy, Abby, and Emily – share three practical tips for managing the mental load during this busy time of year. Their advice is both realistic and incredibly helpful. 

Wishing you all the best as you navigate the festive hustle and bustle, my friend!

Happy Holidays!

 

 

3 Tips to Manage Holiday Stress: 

 

 

1. Create a spreadsheet for your kids to fill out.

 I love how Christy’s family does this– there is a category for want, need, wear, read, and an activity they would like to do. This does NOT need to be fancy– they use a notebook and the kids take turns filling out what they want. Then, when Grandparents call asking for ideas, or when their siblings need an idea, Christy can consult the spreadsheet. This helps so she doesn’t forget or guess and helps keep track of which grandparent purchased what. And her kids know that they aren’t necessarily going to get everything on this list, but it gives Christy ideas she can tuck away later and helps her kids really think about what things and activities they would like to prioritize.

 

2. Take charge of your distractions.

Take some time to think about how you can be more intentional with your tech use to be more present for all the magic we’re trying to create in December. For Abby, this is going to look like deleting all the non-essential apps on her phone for a month. A less disruptive hack is to keep your phone in “Do Not Disturb” mode, and then have pre-determined times during the day to catch up on whatever you need to do. 

 

3. Ask yourself, “What is enough?” 

If you’re tempted to do “all the things” or you are prone to that “FOMO” feeling of missing out when you see the holiday activities that other people are doing, try asking what is “enough?” for your family. I love how Emily knows about how many activities her family can handle during the week and on the weekend, and then she can enjoy what other people are doing without feeling like they have to do it all too. Most importantly, she can enjoy HER family more and the activities they choose to do together. 

 

Save this summary to Pinterest so you can use it later! 👇

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What did you think of these takeaways on tips to manage holiday stress? How do you navigate holiday stress? Comment below! 

 

 

***

 

Related Episodes like this one on Tips to Manage Holiday Stress:

• • 109: How to Find Gratitude in the Marathons of Life // Taffy Micheli
  • 209: 3 Unexpected Blessings of Focusing on Gratitude
  • 401: How Radical Gratitude Can Change Your Life // Dr. Tanmeet Sethi, MD

 

Sponsors:

• BetterHelp: 3 in 30 Takeaways for Moms is sponsored by BetterHelp. Go to betterhelp.com/3in30 to get 10% off your first month of online therapy.
• Quince: Go to Quince.com/3in30 for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.
• Vionic Shoes: Go to vionicshoes.com and use code 3IN30 for 15% off your order.

• Earth Breeze: Go to earthbreeze.com/3in30 for 40% off with your subscription now.