Giving Yourself Permission to Enjoy the Season
By Emily at Nuance
With four very active kids, a full-time job, a calendar full of social events, and responsibilities at church and in the community, I know all too well how overwhelming Christmas can feel. For years, the season that was supposed to feel magical felt…heavy. I’d catch myself thinking, “I just need time to pause. Not a vacation—just a pause so I can breathe and catch up.” It wasn’t because I was attending too many parties or spreading myself too thin on Christmas activities. It genuinely felt like I couldn’t find time for the things that mattered most.
Coming from a family with strong traditions—and wanting to carry those traditions forward—I would secretly feel overwhelmed. I’d miss things, forget things, pretend something not being perfect didn’t bother me…even though inside it absolutely did (any other enneagram ones out there reading this?!). The mom guilt, friend guilt, wife guilt would roll in. Always fun, right? Lol. Last year, after another whirlwind holiday season, I sat myself down and said, Your kids had an amazing Christmas. Good job, Mom. But I also knew something needed to change if I was going to enjoy it too. I had to simplify, adjust, and toss those “perfect Christmas” images right out of my head. That’s just not the season of life I’m in—and that’s okay.
What finally pushed me to shift my approach was learning the science of slowing down. When we relax, simplify, and allow flexibility, we activate the parasympathetic nervous system—our body’s “rest-and-digest” mode. This lowers cortisol, calms inflammation, supports healthy digestion, and improves metabolic balance. Research shows that meaningful social connection and shared traditions strengthen vagal tone (the communication highway between brain and body), improve immunity, and reduce stress-related symptoms. In other words: enjoying the small things—especially family traditions—is not just emotionally healing; it’s physiologically healing. Slower moments literally change our biochemistry for the better.
To help myself embrace that truth, I opened the Notes app on my phone and created a list titled “Learned Christmas Tips for 2025.” I decided that if I wanted more peace and more magic, I had to work smarter, not harder. This is exactly what I wrote:
LEARNED CHRISTMAS TIPS FOR 2025
START EARLY! START EARLY! YOU CAN’T START EARLY ENOUGH!
Mistakes from last year:
I waited until the 23rd and 24th to bake for friends.
Why did I do that to myself?! Let people enjoy your goodies throughout the season—not just Christmas. It was too much, too stressful. Don’t do it again!
TIPS:
Take Christmas picture before the 3rd week of November.
Have Christmas cards completed in November.
First week of November: figure out gifts.
Look for new recipes early.
Save “Favorite Things” gift ideas throughout the year.
Put Christmas tradition activities on the calendar early—and delegate!
Try to build in one “nothing night” each week in December.
Protect an evening with no events, no tasks, no rushing—just rest, family time, or doing absolutely nothing.
These may seem silly to some, but you better believe I’ve already completed many of the things I struggled with last year. My house will be decorated this Sunday. Traditions are already on the calendar. The gifts are picked out. Christmas cards are nearly ready to send. I can breathe. And physiologically—that breath matters.
When we create margin, we create health. If you find yourself in the same overwhelmed shoes I walked in for years, I hope simplifying, starting early, and lowering the pressure brings you peace. This doesn’t mean letting go of meaningful traditions—if anything, it protects them. It just means giving yourself permission to enjoy the season, even when it isn’t perfect. The funny thing? Everyone around you probably thinks it’s perfect anyway.
We would love to hear from you! Share your family traditions and/or how you simplify and protect your Christmas season!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Nuance!
Love,
Emily
