By Sarah Brashears, Co Editor-in-Chief
The holidays are supposed to be “the most wonderful time of the year,” right?
But, if we are being honest, they can also be the most exhausting.
Between the pressure to be cheerful, the endless to-do lists and the feeling that everyone else is having a picture-perfect season, it is easy to end up overwhelmed, drained and just counting down the days until it is over.
The holidays are a time meant for enjoying family and friends, making lifelong memories.
Let’s get real, the holidays do not have to break you!
You do not have to do it all, have it all or feel guilty for not loving every minute.
Do what you can do to make this season work for you.
Not the other way around.
Stop chasing “perfect.” The perfect holiday does not exist. Those hallmark cards and movies are simply snapshots of a romanticized moment in time.
The pictures, the parties, the matching pajamas… they are all pictures of a moment, not real life.
In all honesty, the real holiday moments are messy, but turn into the best memories.
The moments such as spilling hot chocolate everywhere.
The moments of burning the cookies at midnight and having to start over, but your family makes it into a party.
The moments of “oh” when you realize you are forgetting to buy gifts.
The moments when you wait until last minute to wrap all the gifts, because life was just too busy.
This is a typical holiday, messy and chaos. Let that be okay!
The best memories usually come from the imperfect moments, anyway.
Set your limits early.
You do not have to attend every get together or buy a gift for everyone in your contacts list.
If I did, that is 233 gifts and parties I have to attend. That is just not possible!
Set some time aside to rest the same way you set time aside to run errands.
Know that it is okay if you have to tell someone no.
Protect your peace.
That is just as important as anything else you put in your calendar.
Keep your routine sane.
During this season, it is so easy to let sleep, meals and rest slip during the busyness.
Try not to let that happen!
Eat something real, drink some water, get outside and move a little.
You will handle the stress better and have more energy to enjoy the moments that matter.
Focus on your connections, not your performance. People remember how you make them feel, not what you served them or how perfect your house looked.
Laugh during the chaos!
Let go of trying to impress and lean into the people who make you feel safe and loved.
Lastly, give yourself some grace.
If this year feels heavy, whether its because of stress, loss or just life, let that be real, too.
You don’t owe anyone a constant smile.
Take a breath, slow down and remind yourself that you are doing enough.
You are enough.
The holidays will come and go.
The lights will fade and the wrapping paper will disappear.
What is left are the moments that felt genuine.
Not the perfect moments, but the honest and loving ones.
So, this year, let’s be real.
Choose calm over chaos. Choose presence over perfection. Choose yourself over expectations.
That is the kind of holiday worth remembering.