Mothers often feel lots of pressure to make the holiday season perfect for everyone else. Yet after putting in so much hard work to create the holiday magic, they feel like they barely get to enjoy the season. The unbalanced division of labor in many households is never more apparent than during the holiday season.
If you’re a mother, you might find yourself with such a long to-do list that you never a moment to relax and take it all in. In fact, you may catch yourself sighing with relief when the holidays are finally over! But you don’t have to take on the same burden again this year. Here are a few ways you can make the holiday season less stressful and more joyful!
Get Comfortable With Saying “No”
It is not your responsibility to take on every single holiday-related task that other people ask you for help with. You might not have time to volunteer, pitch in with school events for your kids, or host visitors from out of town. It’s okay to tell people “No” and set boundaries. Protecting your own peace and joy this season is important.
Start Delegating
Growing up, many children saw their mothers tackle all of the household tasks for the holiday season while their fathers had minimal participation. Therefore, the unfair division of tasks that’s so common around this time of year feels “normal.” But that doesn’t make it right!
This year, it’s time to delegate within your household. Your older kids can also pitch in! Make it clear that creating a magical holiday is a lot of work, and in order for that to happen, everyone has a responsibility to contribute.
Budget for Extra Help If Necessary
The idea of spending more money around the holidays might seem unpalatable. Paying for services to free up your own time may not work with your budget. But it doesn’t hurt to review your spending to see where you could allocate more funds to allow yourself to relax.
You may be able to pay for a cleaning service before a holiday party, have your holiday dinner catered, or order groceries to be delivered to your home.
Choose Relaxing Holiday Activities
Sometimes, there’s a temptation to check off every holiday activity in town. You don’t want to “miss out” on anything! But at the end of the day, you only have so much room in your schedule. Pick out a couple of activities that won’t push you to your limit.
You may want to coordinate with the parents of your children’s friends so that you don’t have to drive your kids to every activity. Overall, when it comes to family activities, don’t commit to activities just for photo opportunities. If your children don’t want to take photos with Santa, you can skip it!
Tune Out Advertising
Yes, this is often easier said than done around this time of year. But the holidays are a good opportunity to limit your time on social media. It’s easy to spend hours scrolling past countless photos of other people’s seemingly “perfect” holiday festivities.
You might catch yourself looking at gifts that people have received and wondering how much it cost. Keep in mind that going into debt for holiday goodies is never worth the bill. Your family does not need to spend lots of money to have a beautiful holiday season.
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Are you dreading the holiday stress? Talking to a therapist can help you make the most of this season without falling back into this cycle. Reach out to us to learn more about how a therapist can help with stress relief with therapy for women or parenting therapy.