How to Create a Calmer, More Meaningful Holiday Season

The holidays have felt very different to me these past two years.

The week before Christmas in 2024, I found a lump in my breast.

For nearly two years before that, I had been feeling increasingly tired. I knew something wasn’t right.

I asked questions, saw my doctor, and had tests done, but everything appeared normal.

Maybe it was hormonal.

Maybe it was menopause.

Maybe I was simply doing too much.

So, like so many of us do, I kept going.

I remember preparing for Christmas that year and thinking, I’m so tired, I don’t even care if I put up a tree.

On Christmas Day, I fell asleep on the couch in the middle of our crowded, noisy family room. I simply couldn’t keep my eyes open.

I had never done anything like that before.

Other than my husband, I hadn’t told my family about the lump. I told myself it was probably nothing, and I didn’t want to worry anyone or ruin Christmas.

So I carried on.

I planned. Decorated. Shopped. Cooked. Hosted.

I ignored what my body and heart were asking of me and did what I had learned to do my entire life:

Push. Force. Keep going.

When Holiday Stress Replaces Holiday Joy

Does that sound familiar?

Have you ever felt exhausted, stressed, or overwhelmed during the holidays but put on a happy face and kept going?

Or perhaps the happy face disappeared long ago, but you continued doing it all—feeling resentful that so much depended on you.

As children, many of us anticipated the holidays with joy and excitement.

Now, I talk with countless women who approach the season with pressure, overwhelm, and dread.

Somewhere along the way, the wonder of the holidays became buried beneath the work of creating them.

We become so busy trying to make the holidays special for everyone else that we’re barely present for them ourselves.

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Learning to Listen Before Your Body Forces You to Stop

The lump I found turned out to be cancer.

That experience changed me in many ways, and one of them is this:

I’m learning to listen sooner.

I’m practicing listening to my body, my mind, and my heart.

I’m slowing down.

I’m saying “no, thank you” to overscheduled calendars, overspending, overworking, and overthinking.

And I do mean practicing.

I don’t get it right all the time. I notice old patterns. I adjust. I go a little deeper.

And then I try again.

I’m no longer waiting for an illness, injury, or crisis to give me permission to slow down.

I’m choosing a gentler way because I love myself and the people around me—not because my body finally forces me to stop.

I want that for you, too.

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Choosing a Calmer, More Meaningful Holiday Season

What if we did the holidays differently this year?

What if we began preparing now by becoming more intentional about what truly matters?

Slowly.

Calmly.

Meaningfully.

Mindfully.

Creating a calmer holiday season doesn’t mean we stop celebrating or give up the traditions we love.

It means becoming more thoughtful about what we say yes to—and giving ourselves permission to say no to the things that leave us depleted.

It means noticing when we are pushing through exhaustion, trying to meet impossible expectations, or taking responsibility for everyone else’s holiday experience.

It means remembering that our presence matters more than perfection.

Perhaps the most beautiful holiday isn’t the one in which everything gets done.

Perhaps it’s the one in which you’re actually present enough to enjoy it.

Over the next several weeks, I’ll be sharing some of the ways I’m preparing for a calmer, more meaningful holiday season.

Let’s practice together.

With love,

Marcy

P.S. Are You Ready for a Gentler Way?

If you’re ready to start enjoying your life instead of constantly pushing yourself through it, I would love to support you.

I specialize in helping smart but stressed women create lives of passion, purpose, and peace.

If you’d like to explore this kind of support, CLICK HERE to schedule a complimentary 45-minute phone conversation. We’ll simply talk—no pressure and no obligation—and see whether working together feels right for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do the holidays feel so overwhelming?

Holiday overwhelm often comes from trying to manage too many responsibilities, expectations, traditions, and emotions at once. Many women also feel responsible for creating a wonderful experience for everyone around them, which can make it difficult to recognize or honor their own needs.

How can I reduce holiday stress?

Begin by deciding what matters most to you. Simplify commitments, set realistic expectations, ask for help, and give yourself permission to decline activities that leave you depleted. You do not have to do everything for the holidays to be meaningful.

How can I slow down during the holidays?

Create small pauses throughout the season. Check in with your body, leave space in your calendar, spend less time striving for perfection, and choose a few traditions you genuinely enjoy. Slowing down begins with listening to yourself before exhaustion takes over.

What does it mean to have a mindful holiday season?

A mindful holiday season is one in which you make intentional choices instead of automatically repeating old patterns. You focus on what brings meaning and connection while becoming more aware of your limits, emotions, and needs.

How can coaching help with stress and overwhelm?

Coaching can help you recognize the beliefs and patterns that keep you overworking, overthinking, people-pleasing, or pushing beyond your limits. It can also help you develop a gentler, more sustainable way to care for yourself while staying connected to the people and experiences that matter to you.