How to Stay Sane (and Actually Enjoy Yourself) This Holiday Season
Nov 13, 2025How to Stay Sane (and Actually Enjoy Yourself) This Holiday Season
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but if you’ve already shown up to an appointment on the wrong day — you are not alone. The holiday brain fog is real.
Between hosting family, juggling schedules, and trying to maintain some semblance of normal life, your brain basically short-circuits from all the mode-switching. One minute you’re in “host mode,” the next you’re back at work, and before you know it, you’re wondering if it’s Tuesday or 1998.
If that sounds familiar, take a deep breath. You can absolutely make this season lighter — not by doing more, but by giving yourself a bit of structure, space, and sanity.
Here’s how:
1. Ground Yourself in Structure (but Keep It Loose)
When the days blur together, it helps to have one small daily anchor. It doesn’t need to be fancy — in fact, simpler is better.
Try this: every morning, jot down the date, day, and one small intention (“It’s Wednesday, and today my only goal is to restock the fridge”). At night, write a single line: “Best part of today” or “What I want to remember.”
Tiny rituals like that keep your mind from drifting into chaos mode.
2. Protect a “You Day”
Before the next round of guests arrive, mark one day (or half-day) as completely yours. No errands, no prep, no hosting. Just you.
Take a slow morning. Go for a walk. Watch that show you’ve been saving. Treat it like an appointment you can’t cancel — because you’ll come back to your people recharged instead of running on fumes.
3. Lower the Bar — Please.
The world won’t end if you use paper plates.
Your friends won’t think less of you if dessert is store-bought.
Nobody remembers how tidy your house was; they remember how they felt when they were there.
Relaxed hosts make relaxed guests. That’s the real magic trick.
4. Schedule Tiny Recharges
Think of yourself like a phone battery — you can’t run apps when you’re at 3%.
Build in mini recharges every day:
- A 10-minute solo walk after dinner.
- A few songs with noise-canceling headphones while you clean up.
- Sitting in your car for two minutes before going back inside (silence totally counts as rest).
You don’t need hours — just consistency.
5. Focus on Connection, Not Performance
Hosting often turns into performing — making everything perfect, managing everyone’s moods. But that’s not what people want from you.
They want you.
They want warmth, laughter, stories, eye contact.
So instead of asking, “How can I make this perfect?” try asking, “What would make this moment feel cozy?”
Small joy beats big stress every time.
Final Thought
The holidays don’t have to feel like a marathon of obligations. They can feel peaceful — if you give yourself permission to step back, slow down, and savor the moments between the noise.
And if you need a little extra help keeping your peace and energy intact this season, my Beyond Burnout newsletterdelivers quick, realistic tools to help you stay centered, grounded, and human — even when life gets loud.
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