The holidays are full of magic — twinkly lights, warm soup, and the smell of cinnamon and pine.
But if we’re honest, they can also bring a swirl of stress.
So many lists. So many expectations. So many tabs open in our brains.
This year, I’m doing things a little differently. I’m softening the pressure, simplifying what I can, and letting the season be what it is — imperfect and beautiful.
Three small shifts to help feel more rooted:
Let it All Spill Out (on Paper)
Instead of trying to hold it all in my head — gift ideas, grocery lists, random errands, that one thing I keep forgetting — I brain dump everything out as fast as my fingers can write it. (Yes, writing by hand. There’s something magical about slowing your brain down to the speed of your pen/pencil that feels like taking a deep breath.)
Just seeing it on the page calms the noise. It doesn’t all have to be done right now. It just needs somewhere to land.
And in that landing, life feels calmer. Even if nothing really changed (yet).
Don’t Second-Guess What You’ve Already Done
I love giving gifts. I doubt a day goes by when I’m not thinking of a gift for someone—to buy or make—but if I’m not tracking things, I’ll either overspend, forget someone, or buy the same person three gifts and forget the other two people on my list.
As a child, I loved this about my mom. She’d squirrel away gifts all year long – there were 8 of us kids after all – but she’d often forget what she bought and then go buy more. This sometimes meant when my mom decided to clean out her closet after the holidays, she’d find the forgotten gifts and pass them out to us. It was like Christmas all over again!
While a double Christmas as a child is a dream come true, my financial reality loves avoiding doubling up. This is where a gift list, a holiday budget, and a dedicated space for gift ideas make life less chaotic.
Gifting doesn’t have to feel frantic. A little intention goes a long way…not only for space in the closet, but for the bank balance as well.
Build in Places for Rest and Reflection
It’s so easy to get swept up in the momentum of the season. It’s harder to remember to be intentional about the day-to-day working out of the season.
One thing that helps me is starting (or ending) my days by jotting down 1-5 small things I’m grateful for. Sometimes it’s a sunrise. Or when I’m greeted with a purr and head butt (often too early) by my beloved cat, Truman. M, Maybe it’s just that I remembered to drop the electric bill in the mail on time.
It’s not always about being productive.
It’s about pausing.
And remembering what actually matters.
craving more ease and clarity this season?
I put together a Digital Holiday Planner that holds all of these practices in one place. It’s made for soft-hearted, easily-distracted creatives like me who want to stay rooted in what matters — and still get things done.
If you’re new to digital planners (I was too, not long ago), here’s the simple version: this planner is a PDF file you can use in apps like Goodnotes (which you can use for free), where you can write, tap between tabs/pages, and even decorate with digital stickers. It’s kind of like a beautiful, interactive notebook on your screen.
You don’t need an iPad to use it — you can open the file on any tablet or device that works with a PDF annotation app. Or, if digital’s not your thing, you can print it out and use it with your favorite pen and a cup of tea. It’s flexible and easy either way.
You can find it HERE.
This season doesn’t need to be perfect. Make it yours and cut the expectations free.
