Imagine it’s late November, you’ve got presents stashed in random places (you’re hoping you remember where), your holiday to-do list is either a bunch of random post-its scattered through the house/car/office, or a chaotic, unorganized list on your phone, and you have no idea whether Aunt Martha said she was deathly allergic to gluten or dairy.
If the holidays show up each year and steam roll right over you, you’re not alone. Most of us are doing our best to make things magical whilst guzzling caffeineated beverages from our red cups, hoping to get through the season less frazzled than last year.
The good news is that you don’t need an extra ten hours a day or to suddenly become ‘naturally organized’ for things to improve…you just need a plan that works for you. A plan that will help you relax, breathe, and actually enjoy your holidays this year.
The Hidden Reason the Holidays Feel So Heavy
There’s been a lot of talk about the mental load we women carry. It’s a concept that I both love and hate.
Yes, we do look after a lot of things, remember a lot of things. But we’re also better ‘wired’ to do so.
Women’s brains tend to be a bit like criss-crossing wires or spaghetti with everything connected and touching and related to everything else. While the guys in our lives tend to work with one box/one thought/one task at a time. (Thank you, Mark Gungor, for that explanation/visual. Also, this is not true 100% of the time. But, in general, I’ve found it to be pretty accurate.)
Anyway, we moms/women tend to carry all the holiday things in our heads. The schedules, the meal ideas, the gift ideas, the traditions. (Picture Jamie Lee Curtis in Christmas with the Kranks checking off on her fingers the things she needs to get for their last-minute Christmas Eve party.)
Planning can help get all that out of your head and onto paper, so your brain can…ahhhhh…relax.
Before you tell me you’re not a planner-type person, keep this in mind – if you don’t use a planner, you’re still planning…over and over and over again in your head! Talk about exhausting!
Why Planning Is the Most Liberating Thing You’ll Do This Season
I am a huge fan of writing things down (either digitally or preferably with paper and pen) because then I don’t have to “hold onto” them in my head anymore. This is super freeing to me.
This is the gist of the SIMPLE planning I’m talking about when it comes to the holidays. Nothing complicated, just writing down all that stuff that’s in your head so you don’t have to think about it constantly.
Then you can simply refer to your notes when you need to. This equals instant stress relief!
The Calm Holiday Blueprint (Your 5-Step Jumpstart)
To make this easier, I created a free roadmap called The Simple Holiday Plan.
In it, I walk you through my 5 steps for stress-free holidays:
- Defining your vision
- Setting your boundaries and budgets
- Mapping your key dates
- Making simple master lists
- Reviewing and simplifying weekly
Think of it like your permission slip to stop winging this whole holiday thing.
You can get it FREE at the bottom of this blog post.
FAQs
I like to start jotting ideas and dates down in early November. That gives me time to plan slowly without pressure. But honestly, it’s never too late to start. Even a week or two of planning can make a big difference.
You don’t need to be. A simple plan actually helps you more than anyone because it keeps everything out of your head and on paper. That’s the real secret to calm.
Not at all. Think of your plan as a loose framework, not a strict schedule. It’s there to support you, not stress you out. Start with the basics like meals, gifts, and events, and add more if you want later.
They will, and that’s okay. A calm plan is flexible. Think of it like a guide you can adjust as you go. The goal is less chaos, not zero surprises.
Why This Works (and Why Chaos Never Does)
There is such mental clarity when you write things down. And the emotional relief? So good, my friend.
A calm holiday season isn’t luck, it’s intentional. It takes a little planning. But with that planning comes so much freedom.
Start with five minutes today. Download the free plan below, or grab the whole planner bundle above, jot a few notes, and feel the weight lift, while you actually enjoy the holiday season this year.