Christmas has always been my absolute favorite. My whole life long, I’ve looked forward to this time of year. That excitement in the air and those joyful feelings haven’t changed since becoming an adult and a mom. However, over the last few years, I’ve found myself hitting a wall of exhaustion, or even having a breakdown, as Christmas approaches. I’ve found myself so worn out before Christmas Day, and I really don’t like it. I don’t want to be or feel this way.
I remember one of my first Christmases as a mom thinking, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year…so why don’t I feel like it?”
Uhh…probably because I’m up to my eyeballs in to-dos, between gift planning/shopping/mailing/wrapping and end-of-year items and financial and health insurance tasks and administrative tasks. Planning holiday events to do as a family while also trying to be financially savvy. . . .Yeah, it’s a lot.
It’s the Most Exhausting Time of the Year
There are so many emotions involved during the holiday season. There are also so many to-dos. So much of motherhood in general for me is managing the administrative tasks of the family, and these tasks don’t stop just because everything is holly jolly. In fact, these tasks end up quadrupling; they just have a festive spin on them during this season.
I’ve tried to come up with new ways to organize my schedule and plan gifts, searching for the practical solution that will save me. Some of these changes have helped me a lot, but I’ve found that, if my mind isn’t right, my heart won’t be either.
You can have all the organizational systems in the world, but if your heart and head aren’t in the right place or on the same page, you will experience internal conflict that manifests externally, too.
It’s been on my heart a lot this season to flip this pattern that’s occurred over the past few years. I’ve realized in order to combat it, I’ve got to keep an intentional positive outlook. It’s not about forcing happiness or pretending; it’s not about perfection, either. This is simply about an intentional mindset shift. Keeping gratitude at the forefront helps the rest fall into place.
There Is No “Christmas Magic”
Christmas magic isn’t a thing—not on its own, at least. Christmas magic is just a mom working hard to create an enjoyable holiday season for her children. It’s a mom who’s maxed out but powers through, anyways. She does it no matter how she feels because it’s not just about “spoiling” her kids; it’s much more than that.
It’s about building a legacy.
As moms, we have the lofty and wonderful job of creating new family traditions and sustaining ongoing ones. Whether you had magical Christmases as a child or not, you’re creating something new for your own kids. It truly is an honor, but that doesn’t make it easy to do.
Your kids likely won’t remember the specifics (and if they do, it won’t be what they harbor). Instead, try to shift your focus to match what’s really important to them, like the following:
- They won’t remember that the sugar cookie recipe failed and the cookies were a disaster; they’ll remember being in the kitchen with you.
- They won’t remember Santa photos not turning out; they’ll remember writing their Christmas list with you while festive music plays in the background.
- They won’t remember the Christmas pajamas not arriving in time; they’ll remember having movie night as a family with hot chocolate in hand.
Also, if you aren’t able to fit everything in this holiday, that’s okay! They won’t know what they’re missing out on. (Ignorance is bliss in this situation.)
A Season of Embrace
My utmost encouragement to you for every holiday season is to fully embrace each moment. Don’t view holiday events as something “to do,” but rather as an experience for your children and for you, too! You deserve to genuinely enjoy and be present in these joyful moments. Your children don’t need all the bells and whistles. They just want you.
No matter how I swing it, I will likely always feel exhausted once Christmas Day comes. But this exhaustion doesn’t have to be negative. It’s inevitable as a mom to be exhausted by the holiday season, but instead of being exhausted from overwhelm, I want to be exhausted from fulfillment. I want the kind of exhaustion you feel at the finish line of a race or at the end of an exciting event you planned.
Women are truly amazing, and this time of year is such a beautiful celebration of the strength of a mother. I don’t have all the answers; I don’t have any, really, just reflections. However, I do hope these sentiments have helped you feel less alone. Building a legacy isn’t an easy task, but I hope you allow yourself the ability to fully embrace this season with your family. After all, that’s what it’s all about.
