4 Things You Must Do to Maintain Your Sanity & Wellbeing This Holiday Season
1 – Maintain your routine.
During the holidays, it’s easy to lose sight of routine and healthy habits.
We all benefit from routine in life… an ability to anticipate and set expectations about how the day or week is going to go.
As we get caught up in this season of joy and thankfulness, our routine and healthy habits are often the first things to go.
Come the New Year, it is that much harder to get back on track. Sticking to the routine of life can set you and your family up for success.
You not only have the ability to indulge and enjoy this season, but you have a day-to-day routine to anchor you when things start to get overwhelming.
2 – Delegate. Delegate. Delegate.
We’ve heard it before and I’ll say it again, we CANNOT DO IT ALL.
As moms, we often bear the burden of running the household, in addition to managing our professional lives.
When and where possible, delegation is key.
And delegation looks different for every family. Perhaps you and your spouse split the household duties right down the middle. Or maybe your children take on key responsibilities such as toy cleanup and putting away the clean laundry.
No matter your situation, delegation helps alleviate the pressure and the mental load of running a household.
Handoff a meal or two each week
My favorite way to delegate is meal planning and prep. I know there are a ton of options available for those looking to outsource some elements of feeding a family.
From grocery delivery to meal kits that you prep yourself, there truly is something for every budget and lifestyle.
I recently discovered Famfare Kitchen and fell in love with the convenience and ease of bringing a hot meal home to the family, while you stick back and take all the credit for a delicious family dinner!
Here’s how it works:
- You check out their menu where they have a new family-style meal available each week.
- You decide which menus sound amazing (so, all of them), and identify the pick-up location that works best for you (available in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area).
- Then, you simply sign up based on your delivery location, add it to your calendar, and BAM, you’re off the hook for a home-cooked meal one night!
#Momhack – make this a paper plate kind of night and forget about the dishes while you’re at it!
Famfare is a one-night-a-week break from planning, shopping, prepping, cooking and cleaning made by women who understand the chaos of motherhood. With more than enough food for the family and likely, some leftovers for later. Menus are designed to please parents and kids alike using classic recipes with universal appeal.
As I juggle my growing business, family matters and everything in between, I know that I can’t (and shouldn’t) do it all. But with Famfare Kitchen, we can find the time to sit down to a home-cooked meal (at least) one night a week. And for that, I am grateful. Because feeding my family, and feeding them well, is important to me.
3 – Create clear boundaries.
Boundaries are tough but so incredibly important, especially around the holidays.
As we enter a busy time of year, it’s easy to let the busyness of the season take over and lose sight of your own well-being in the process. Intention around setting clear boundaries will allow you to make yourself a priority. This means making time for yourself when you need it.
We’re all guilty of pulling the “I’m fine” card when we know that we’re one kid-tantrum away from breaking down ourselves.
I too struggle with boundaries from time to time, but I remind myself that I am a better mama and wife when I take care of myself. And I love the example it sets for my children and family.
We all have non-negotiables that allow us to live our best life. Keeping those in mind and sticking to them even when life gets busy and overwhelming will keep your sanity in check and provide for a more enjoyable and relaxed holiday all around.
4 – Find joy in the season.
Remember what the holidays are truly about and focus on making memories to ground you in what matters most.
As the holiday season hits us full-swing, there is so much to distract us from the bigger meaning of the season and the memories that come with it.
I love the idea of staying grounded in the true meaning of the season. It’s often a practice of mindfulness for me, as it can so easy to focus on the stress and negative aspects of the season.
From sharing what we are most grateful for to what we are looking forward to, making a point to talk about these things every day (with our kids included) can help create that sense of joy and togetherness.
This is not to say that there aren’t hard things about the season. Family can be hard. Kids can be hard. And it’s okay and healthy for us to acknowledge those hardships we’re experiencing, in addition to recognizing the really great things about this time of year as well.
- Having an appreciation for the wonderment, innocence, and excitement our kids have.
- Spending a moment to appreciate those who we don’t see often.
- Finding gratitude in the increase of physical mail that comes in and knowing that old friend or co-worker thought of you as they were going through their holiday mailing list this year.
No matter how or when you celebrate the holidays, this is a season of intentionality.
The reality is that the joy of this season isn’t always automatic. Sometimes you have to seek it out and be intentional about finding the joy in everyday moments.
The Season of Choice
Each one of these essential tips for maintaining your wellbeing and sanity this holiday season comes along with a common theme – choice. During a time that feels like we don’t have any control, it’s important to remember that maintaining a sense of empowerment and knowing we have a choice in everything we experience this holiday season can be the most powerful tip of all.
Just as you get to choose how someone makes you feel or how you react to misguided comments from a family member, you also get to choose how available you want to be or how many activities you will add to your schedule.
As a final thought, it’s always okay to choose the commitment level that best matches what you need to maintain your wellbeing – even if that means saying “not this year.”
From myself and the whole team at The Driven Mama, we wish you a happy, healthy and well holiday season! – Jen
