As a working mom, things do not come easy for me. I am on the go from the time I wake up to way past “normal” bedtime. The holidays’ kickoff a horrible state of panic because the budget is stretched beyond what is available, and there is just no time to figure things out. It goes by so fast and we just try to enjoy what we can. In return though, mom guilt sets in, because we stress out the entire season and really lose sight of what is important. Here are some steps we can try together that might help the holidays be less stressful (these ideas are my own and what I know I need to do to get it together for myself and my family):

1. Rest

This is important because most times I feel exhausted. Resting more would give me the mental capacity to deal with those issues that just seem to pop up. What happens now is I just panic and get stressed, cry and punish myself for not being able to handle anything. Sleeping and taking those breaks might help with clarity and dealing with certain situations.

2. Do What You Can

This will be tough; I stretch myself because my family’s happiness is the most important thing to me. That being said, I forget about me being a human. I forget how hard some things are, that a failure is an option, and it is okay to not do everything all the time. Doing what I can should be enough and accepting that it is enough should happen too.

3. Breathe More

This really goes hand-in-hand with resting and doing what I can. I need to breathe. This means I need to get in touch with myself. I need to appreciate what I do and how things come together. I need to figure out how not to go straight to panic mode and to just breathe and then move forward. Stress, panic, and fear do nothing for me other than send me spiraling into negativity, and this isn’t the time of year to spiral.

4. Let The Kids Be Kids

I find myself wanting to control everything when I am stressed and that isn’t fun for anyone. I lose sight of what is kid behavior and what is misbehavior. I don’t like that. I need to let the kids have a little more freedom to be kids and not freak out with every little thing. Some things are okay for the kids to do because they are kids!

5. Enjoy The Holiday

I need to just stop and really remember the magical feeling of the holidays that I loved so much as a kid. I need to remember that my kids have that same feeling and that is a wonderful thing. They should feel excited and not have to see me break down at every moment. They need to see that this is a magical time and they should have fun with everything.

I know what I need to do, and getting there can be challenging, but if I move with purpose I can really keep my mind sharp with how I want to be for myself and my family. Have a happy holiday and do not let stress run your life, especially during these fun times.