December is magical, but it can also be overwhelming. This post shares strategy and simple, practical takeaways to help you stay focused, manage stress, and truly enjoy the season … without losing yourself in the holiday chaos.
You know that moment when you *finally* sit down, take a breath, and your brain suddenly screams: “Girl, it’s December.” Same.
I truly love this time of year (and especially the holiday season in NYC!) with the lights, the traditions, the coziness, the joy, Jesus’s birthday. All of it! But let’s be honest … the extra layer of holiday *everything* stacked on top of normal life can seem like a lot.
Holiday cards. Decorations. Class parties. Gift lists. Wrapping. Travel prep. Elf missions. Events. Cookies. Traditions. Mental load. It’s festive. It’s fun. But it’s also overstimulating, fast and sometimes overwhelming.
I’ve been touching on this subject over the past couple of years on social media, but I wanted to dig deeper and include helpful takeaways with real examples that you can implement this year.
So, here we are on the blog with an all out guide. (Hi, hello, and thank you for reading!)
If your December brain also feels like it’s frozen in the middle of 47 tabs open, this guide is for you. Consider it your calm in the chaos, your holiday season survival strategy, and your reminder that joy > perfection.
Simple Ways to Stay Focused and Stress-Less This December
Let’s breathe. Let’s simplify. Let’s enjoy this month on purpose.
1. Make a “don’t forget” list (i.e. your mental load lifesaver).
This is one of my favorite hacks!
Instead of letting random thoughts hijack your day (“oops, I forgot teacher gifts!”), give them a home. Create a simple “don’t forget” list that lives at the very bottom of your main to-do list.
This is where all the “should probably do that” things go.
If you get to it today? Amazing. If not? Tomorrow or the end of the week is perfectly fine.
This keeps your mind clear and your actual priorities prioritized, not waking you up out of a dead sleep in the middle of the night to stress over.
2. Be okay with saying “no” (permission granted.)
This month adds *so* many invitations and activities.
But here’s the truth: you can do a lot … but you can’t do it all. And you don’t need to.
Saying “no” to something you don’t truly care about creates space for the things that actually make your family feel connected, rested, and joyful. These are the things that fill your cup that you need to make space for, and that’s just how it is. I know it’s easy to feel guilty (I used to struggle with this a lot!), but know it’s not just okay, sometimes it’s necessary.
Give yourself some grace.
Choose magic over obligation.
Choose presence over pressure.
3. Schedule dedicated holiday task time.
If you don’t protect your time, December will steal it. (Been there done that, right?)
Try this:
- Pick two or three time slots each week (20–45 minutes).
- Label them “Holiday To-Do Time.”
- Use that window for wrapping, online shopping, organizing, cards, etc.
Containing the tasks → preventing the December spiral.
This keeps your days normal, functional, and way less chaotic.
4. Set timers (piggy backing off of the last point!)
December tasks expand to fill the space you give them. Think about it.
So try setting timers for 20 or 30 minutes at a time:
- wrap until the timer ends
- shop until the timer ends
- clean until the timer ends
- scroll for gift ideas until the timer ends (because otherwise it’s endless, omg)
You will be shocked at how much you accomplish *without* losing two hours and your sanity.
5. Support your nervous system (December = overstimulating.)
A few tiny daily habits make a *huge* difference:
- Hydrate (even when it’s cold … yes, still counts)
- Go for short walks
- Eat real meals, not just holiday snacks
- Do 1–2 minutes of deep breathing
- Get some sunlight in the morning
Your mood, energy, and patience will thank you. And so will your family, lol.
6. Lower the bar a little (perfection steals joy.)
You don’t need “Pinterest December.” You need meaningful, memorable, and manageable December.
Your kids won’t remember:
- perfect wrapping
- perfect holiday cards
- perfect parties
- perfect Elf on the Shelf performances
They’ll remember how it felt: warm, fun, safe, and a little chaotic … but full of love.
7. Remember the reason for the season.
This is the grounding part for me.
Yes, the extras are fun: the sparkles, the parties, the gifts and traditions. But the heart of this season is joy and remembering Jesus’s birthday. It’s about hope. It’s filled with grace, reflection and celebration.
This type of refocusing resets everything, and I’m definitely coaching myself here as I type.
Soak in the moments, because they’re the real gift.
Final Thought: Less Stress = More Magic
December will always be full, but it doesn’t have to feel heavy.
You’re doing great.
You’re allowed to slow down.
And you’re allowed to make this month work for *you* and not the other way around.
Now take a breath and go enjoy the chaos (and hopefully some of the calm) out there.
Happy Holidays!
xo, Heather
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