How Moms Can Reduce Holiday Stress And Enjoy The Season
As moms everywhere know, Halloween is the unofficial start of the holiday season.
While for our kids, that means beautifully wrapped presents, frolicking in the snow, and snuggling up under blankets to watch Christmas movies, for moms, this is the season of Kin Keeping.
Kin Keeping, if you are unfamiliar, are all the tasks and work (and yes, it's work!) that goes into creating memories, connections, and those emotional touchstones families have. There's been a lot written about it, but the article I go back to again and again is the one by Katie M. McLaughlin called "The Invisible Burden That Leaves Moms Drained.” In it, Katie discusses how Kin Keeping tasks mostly fall on women’s plates. Since moms are the typical Kin Keepers, this time of year basically means more stress and less sleep.
So until society does an about-face and this changes, it’s important to take care of ourselves during times of added busy-ness. This time of year is fun, but can be really stressful. So we’ve come up with some easy ways to help you take care of yourself.
Go To Bed Earlier
One of the best ways to reduce holiday stress is to get a good night's rest, so resist the urge to stay up later to "get more done."
This time of year means more darkness at night, so take this opportunity to go to bed earlier and get more sleep during these next couple of months. By going to bed earlier, you'll be able to fully recharge and not feel as overwhelmed by all of the holiday demands that will inevitably bombard you during this busy time of year.
Be Ruthless With Your To-Do List
If you sit down and take the time to write out a list of all you have to do to prepare for upcoming holidays, we're willing to bet you'd realize two things:
A) That list is literally a mile long.
B) It's cluttered with things that you actually don't have to (or want to) do at all.
Make your list and then go through it, not with a fine-tooth comb but with a freaking machete. Do you really need to get the kids matching sweaters for a Christmas picture? Do you actually have to make a gingerbread house from scratch? Do you have to plan out Christmas activities for your family every single weekend? Probably not.
Owning your to-do list will help you feel more in control, make the holiday season less stressful for you, and save your sanity. So make sure the actions on it are things you (and your family) actually enjoy.
Let Go Of Pinterest-Worthy Perfection
Truth time: you don't need to give your kids a Pinterest-worthy occasion to make lasting memories.
Pinterest and Instagram have completely altered our perception about what life and home are supposed to look like. Moms, in particular, get pushed into this idea of perfection that is not only unsustainable—not to mention fake—but also bad for your health.
So let go of the need to create memories for the sake of pictures and instead pay attention to what your family (ALL of the family- the kids AND the grownups) seems to pick up on the most, and then craft your holidays around that instead. Which brings us to…
Focus On Things You Actually Enjoy
We tend to overschedule when we see fun sounding ideas on social media, then feel frazzled and exhausted, and suddenly, we aren’t having much fun. So think about the things that you love doing this time of year, and try to stick to those. Weed out the other stuff.
So do yourself a huge favor and shift your focus from all that you have to do to all that you enjoy doing. Because when you're doing things you love, with people you love, that's when you're the most likely to soak up all of the happy holiday memories you're looking for.
Double Down on Stress-Busting Nutrients
Despite all of this, we are still going to have more to do than probably any other time of year, which means more chronic, daily stress. I don’t have to tell you that stress is not great for us, but the daily, chronic kind is especially damaging.
Luckily, Mother Nature has foods packaged with nutrients that can help support our bodies in times of stress. Two of my favorite nutrients are Vitamin C and Magnesium. Both are depleted in times of stress, and both are also necessary to support our body’s stress response. Vitamin C is abundant in red bell peppers, strawberries, kiwis, and oranges. Magnesium is found in leafy greens like swiss chard and spinach, dark chocolate, nuts and seeds, and avocados.
Kin Keeping is work, so if you start to feel the demands of the season wear you down, give some of these tricks a try. And remember, the season is for YOU to enjoy too.
This information is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation. For my full Disclaimer, please go to https://www.sourceandsproutnutrition.com/disclaimer