Boundaries and Self-Care for a Stress-Free Holiday

The holidays often come with joy, celebration, and connection, but they can also bring challenges like family tensions, overstimulation, or burnout. By focusing on boundaries and self-care, you can reclaim peace and truly enjoy the season.

Here’s how you can do it:

1. Set Clear Boundaries

Boundaries are essential to reclaiming your time, energy, and emotional well-being. It can be helpful to set up a plan for how you are going to get through the holidays. Before the holidays begin, set some realistic goals for what you can do and what you may need to say “no” to.

To successfully navigate the holidays, you may have to limit how much time you spend at gatherings or address things that may trigger conflict. Just know that it’s impossible to make everyone happy- challenge yourself to have the hard conversations because you’ll thank yourself for it later. 

2. Practice Intentional Self-Care

It can be hard to make time for rest at any point in the year, but it is particularly hard during the holidays. There are so many ways that you can spend your time, and it can be easy to try and do all the things. Taking care of yourself during the holidays starts with prioritizing your wellness.

• Have a slow start to your day: If you can, get up a little bit earlier so that you don’t have to start your day running. Taking a walk, listening to some music, or engaging with your spiritual practice are great ways to start your day.

• Make time for mindfulness: Take a few deep breaths, meditate, or enjoy a quiet cup of coffee.

• Get moving: Whether it's yoga, a brisk walk, or dancing to your favorite playlist, physical activity can reduce stress and boost your mood.

• Watch your social media intake: Try not to get lost in what everyone is doing. Focus on how you want to spend the holidays and what means the most for you.

• Treat yourself: Take a warm bath, read a book, or indulge in a creative activity that energizes you.

If you want more peace in your life it starts with prioritizing more of what works for you.

3. Manage Expectations

Sorry to tell you but nothing is perfect and you can’t expect your holiday plans to be perfect either. Let go of the pressure to meet unrealistic standards or expectations from others. Focus on moments that bring genuine joy—like spending quality time with loved ones, enjoying your favorite traditions, or savoring a quiet evening.

Consider simplifying your plans by:

• Delegating tasks, like holiday cooking or decorating.

• Giving thoughtful but manageable gifts instead of extravagant ones.

• Prioritizing meaningful experiences over material expectations.

• Taking time to slow down and enjoy the moment instead of packing your calendar full of events.

4. Build a Support Network

The holiday season can resurface difficult emotions, especially if family dynamics are complex. Being honest about how you feel and about how the holidays are impacting you is helpful. Share your feelings with someone you trust, like a close friend, partner, or therapist so that you can feel seen and understood.

5. Embrace Flexibility and Grace

Not everything will go as planned, and that’s okay. It can be helpful to know what is within your ability to control or influence. Practice flexibility by adapting to changes as they come. Give yourself—and others—grace if emotions run high.

Do you need more individualized support?

I understand how difficult it can be to navigate the holidays if the relationship with your family is complicated. Maybe you don’t spend a lot of time with your family throughout the year, but during the holidays you feel obligated to show up at the family functions. Maybe you are dealing with feelings of loneliness because you don’t have a place to call “home” where you feel loved and accepted. Or maybe you feel like you are drowning under the pressure to make everyone around you happy.

You don’t have to white knuckle it through the holidays waiting for the calendar to hit January 2. You can successfully navigate the holidays if you are able to not only focus on the things that are stressing you out today but solve the root cause. You can feel confident in your own skin, you can stand firm in your own truth without fear of rejection, and you can be empowered to make decisions in line with your values and needs.

I would love to help you get there.

Hey there! I’m Amber.

If we haven’t met yet, I specialize in helping women bridge the gap between their current circumstances and the life they have envisioned for themselves in tangible ways.

Not only will we create the space for you to reflect on what you have experienced, identify what is keeping you stuck, and explore new possibilities - we'll do this via an accelerated pathway.

My approach to therapy is about understanding the whole of who you are- mind, body, and spirit- so you can know what it means to show up fully and embrace your humanness with others and yourself.

I would love to support you through the holiday season and create some shifts so that you build a life that is balanced and meaningful, even if you don’t know where to start. We will dig deep and equip you with the tools that you need to do life better and embrace challenges as they come. 

If you’re a woman that lives in California, Florida, or Georgia and you’re ready to start this journey I would love to schedule a free meet and greet with you to see if we’re a great fit to work together.