Reduce Holiday Stress: Six Steps for Busy Moms

Hi Mummis!

The holiday season is here! And who isn't looking forward to watching Elf and eating cookies?!

But between work, family expectations, social commitments, pressure to do everything perfectly, and emotional triggers, it’s easy to lose your sense of steadiness.

This year, instead of powering through, let’s try something different: creating small grounding practices that help you stay regulated, present, and intentional.

Here are six simple tools to help you move through the holidays with more calm and less chaos.

1. Micro-Boundaries

If saying “no” to family or friends feels too big, try micro-boundaries. These are small internal rules that help you show up for the holidays without abandoning your own needs.

These are commitments you make to yourself. You can still attend events, show up for the people you love, and participate in traditions but in a way that protects your nervous system.

Micro-boundaries to try:

• Decline last-minute invitations

• Leave gatherings at a time that works for your kids

• Ask others to bring a dish instead of doing everything yourself

• Agree to “no gifts for adults”

• Gently decline conversations about certain topics

• Reserve one quiet hour for yourself each weekend

If you stick to your boundaries, your nervous system will feel safer because you know you’ll have your own back. Be polite but firm. A simple, “We’d love to stay, but we need to get the kids home by 9 pm,” is completely reasonable.

And if you know a certain situation will make it nearly impossible to honor your boundaries?
You’re allowed to ask yourself whether you even want to be there.

Just because you’ve always done something doesn’t mean you need to continue. And if other people are upset about your change? Their feelings are theirs to process.

2. The Overwhelm Check-In

Most moms don’t notice they’re overwhelmed until they’re snapping, crying, or shutting down so let’s recognize overwhelm before we spiral.

This quick self-check helps you catch it early:

Ask yourself:

• What is my body doing? (tight chest? fast breath? clenched jaw?)

• What is my mind doing? (racing? foggy? overstimulated?)

• What do I need right now? (a pause? water? a boundary? support?)

Overwhelm loses its power when you can name it early.

3. 30 Second Sensory Reset

When your nervous system spikes, you can ground your body in seconds with the Sensory Reset.

Pause and notice:

• 3 things you see

• 2 things you feel

• 1 thing you hear

This signals safety to the brain, slows your breathing, and interrupts the overwhelm spiral.

Use this before:

• Entering a family gathering

• Navigating conflict or overstimulation

• Leaving the house during a chaotic moment

• Regrouping after a tough interaction

If you can’t regulate in the moment, that’s okay. Excuse yourself to the bathroom and try again but with more pronounced sensory input:

• Notice the thread pattern on the shower curtain

• Run cold water over your hand

• Listen to the faucet drip

Stronger sensations anchor you faster. You can also substitute smell or taste, if you find them more effective.

4. Grounding Through Breath: The 4–2–6 Pattern

The holidays often amplify physical tension. Signals can include tight shoulders, a clenched jaw, and shallow breathing.

This simple breathing pattern activates your parasympathetic nervous system and lowers your heart rate.

Try this:

• Inhale for 4

• Hold for 2

• Exhale slowly for 6

Repeat three times.

For a deeper grounding effect, notice your touchpoints with the chair.
Feel your long, tall spine.
Adjust your posture to reflect steadiness. Your body will follow that cue.

5. Calm Pockets

You don’t need a meditation room. Just one small routine that signals:

“You can soften here.”

Your calm pocket might be:

• A cozy blanket, tea or water, and a few minutes alone in your bedroom

• Headphones + a calming playlist + ten minutes in your car

• A candle, your journal, and the soft, quiet corner of the living room

Choose a comfortable spot, focus on something outside yourself, and give yourself a quick, intentional reset.

6. Permission to Drop Balls

This might be the most important grounding practice of all.

You do not have to:

• Attend every event

• Host perfectly

• Create magic every single day

• Be cheerful nonstop

• Say yes to everything

• Keep the house spotless

• Make elaborate gifts

Choose the handful of things that matter most to your family and let the rest go.

A grounded holiday isn’t created through perfection.
It’s created through presence.

One thing I gave up a few years ago: Elf on the Shelf.
I kept forgetting to move him. My kid's didn't really care about the tradition. This is a silly example, but it illustrates something simple to let go of. What can you give up today?

This holiday season doesn’t need to run you over.
By using grounding tools, setting micro-boundaries, checking in with your overwhelm, and giving yourself permission to slow down, you’re creating a calmer, more connected season for your kids and for yourself.

If you want support with staying centered, download our Holiday Stress Checklist to walk you through each of these steps.

For deeper support, our course Wellness 101 includes tools for nervous-system stabilization, habit-building, and emotional regulation — the foundations of a calmer home and a calmer you. Get more information here:

And if there is a mum you know who can benefit from these tools, please share!

Hoping you have a wonderful and restorative holiday with your families,

Sam