While there’s so much to manage right now, there’s a gift of slower paced days heading your way. But if you don't think about it even a tiny bit ahead of time, it just... disappears. And then you get to January wondering what happened and why you still feel exhausted.

Since there’s not room to add anything heavy to your plate, we’re keeping things light. In this episode, we're walking you through five different "resets" you might be craving after the holiday rush—recovery, connection, catch-up, fun, or closure—and helping you build a bare minimum plan so that the week between Christmas and the new year actually gives back to you.

You could literally make your whole plan while you listen. So grab your headphones, finish wrapping those gifts, and let's make sure the week after Christmas doesn't slip away.

Highlights from the episode:

[00:01:06] - Tradition Spotlight on sibling gift exchange

[00:03:35] - A gentle post-holiday plan

[00:06:50] - Post-holiday reset 1: recovery

[00:08:08] - Post-holiday reset 2: connection

[00:08:42] - Post-holiday reset 3: catch up

[00:09:29] - Post-holiday reset 4: fun

[00:10:12] - Post-holiday reset 5: closure

[00:11:17] - Bare minimum plan

[00:19:11] - Make your own plan

[00:21:25] - This week’s Get A Headstart Tip for making a Christmas lost-and-found box for lost decor items

[00:22:48] - What’s on our to-do lists this week

[00:25:20] - Our Nice Lists

Resources:

List any resources mentioned in the episode first, and then the evergreen links below them.

• 🔥 Wish Papers for New Year's Eve: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=wish+papers
• 📚 Jolabokaflod (Icelandic Book Flood) tradition idea
• 🎄 My Minds Eye Glitter Christmas Village pieces
• 📺 The Merry Movie Club on Instagram: @themerrymovieclub
• 🎬 Merry Christmas Ted Cooper (Hallmark movie recommendation)
• Grab The Holiday Headstart Playbook
• Take the Holiday Profile quiz
• Follow on Instagram @theholidayheadstart 
• Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! 

More About The Holiday Headstart:

Welcome to The Holiday Headstart podcast, where we get intentional about kicking overwhelm to the curb and bringing joy back to your holidays (and every day). We’re Heidi and Emily, two sisters and former elementary school teachers, who’ve taken the simple strategies and practical tips we mastered in the classroom and put them to work in our personal lives. 

And we’re here to help you do the same! Join us each week as we share how, with a little planning and a little prep, you can ensure that the days that make life special don’t become the days that make you stressed.