The sprint from Halloween to Christmas can be stressful for most people but, if you have kids, it is also often accompanied by the trifecta of overbooking, mom guilt, and unmet expectations. Today, we’re talking about the inevitable holiday stress we feel as parents and some of the ways that you can circumvent it, avoid common triggers, and make time for yourself during the craziest time of the year! Kelly and Megan share their tips for reducing anxiety, including making a list of which events are most important to you and cancelling the rest, setting realistic expectations for the festive season with your family, and carving out essential time for self-care, as well as delegating, asking for help when you need it, and creating new traditions rather than doing things the way they have “always been done.” For all this and more on how to alleviate seasonal depression and put the ‘merry’ back in merrymaking, make sure to tune in today! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Kelly shares her personal memories of the holidays when she was growing up.
• Hear how Megan celebrated the holidays with her family in a more religious household.
• Why the holidays are commonly a trying time for most parents.
• The joy of creating new traditions with your family and the stress of obligation.
• Some of the additional pressures that come with social media during the holidays.
• Tips for reducing anxiety: make a list of what is most important to you and scratch the rest!
• Holiday financial stress and the benefits of prioritizing experiences over expensive gifts.
• The value of relinquishing control, delegating, and sharing the workload with your partner.
• How important it can be to set expectations for the holidays with your work and family.
• Hear about some of the ways that Kelly and Megan get into the ‘holiday spirit’.
• Why self-care is essential during the holidays; you can’t pour from an empty cup!
• Megan on the benefits of moving your body for your mental health.
• Remember that perfection is an illusion; comparison is the thief of joy.
• Holiday life lessons; how you approach this season sets an example for your kids.
• Kelly tells a story about the time she lost her temper on Christmas morning and how her kids have never let her forget about it.
• How you can use volunteer work as an outlet if you are alone this Christmas.
• Prioritizing whatever makes your heart feel full at Christmastime.

Tweetables:

“Whether it’s overbooking yourself or overshooting what your expectations are going to be, sometimes [the holidays] can turn from what should be joyous to super stressful!” — Megan Block [0:06:44]

“We get sold this idea that we’re doing our kids a disservice if we don’t check every single box on the list. First of all, I know for a fact that’s not true and, second of all, we have to give ourselves a break. It’s impossible to do every single thing.” — Kelly Castillo [0:11:27]

“Now that we are in the early to middle part of November, [it] is a great time to have a conversation about expectations [for the holidays], not just with your partner but also with your [work], with your children if they are of the right age.” — Kelly Castillo [0:25:35]

“You don’t have to do something because you’ve always done it or because your mom and dad had you do it. If it doesn’t make sense, don’t do it!” — Megan Block [0:30:17]

“The holidays are one of those times of the year where self-care becomes absolutely essential to getting through it. It’s a paradox because, at the time of the year where you need to focus on self-care, you have the least amount of time to do so.” — Kelly Castillo [0:36:20]

“The holidays are a stressful period naturally. Try and find ways around it.” — Megan Block [0:54:40]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: