Slowing Down for the Holidays: How to Avoid Holiday Overwhelm
The holidays are supposed to be joyful—but trying to make everything memorable, perfect, and photo-worthy can leave you exhausted and overwhelmed.
In this episode, Stephanie shares a very personal reminder about what can happen when you try to do too much for too many people and neglect your own needs in the process.
A week after Thanksgiving, Stephanie found herself unable to move after her back went out. She knew she had been going too fast. Her usual routines—getting enough sleep, waking before everyone else, meditating, and journaling—help her feel calm and centered. But a hectic week at work, sick teachers, finding substitute coverage, soccer, and a complicated family schedule threw everything off.
Instead of slowing down, she kept going.
This episode is an invitation to notice when you're doing the same thing. The holidays can bring extra commitments, travel, shopping, entertaining, family obligations, and pressure to make everything perfect. But you don't have to do everything, and you don't have to neglect yourself to create a meaningful holiday season.
Slow down before you reach the point of exhaustion. Pay attention to your routines, your energy, your boundaries, and what you actually want this season to feel like.
In other words: do better than Stephanie did. 😉
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why the holidays can make even grounded people feel overwhelmed
- How trying to make everything perfect can cause you to take on too much
- Why your everyday routines matter when life gets hectic
- How to recognize when you're moving too fast
- Why taking care of yourself needs to remain part of the holiday plan
- How to create a slower, calmer holiday season without doing everything
A Slow Living Reminder
You don't have to do everything for everyone to create a meaningful holiday.
Sometimes the most important thing you can do is notice that you're going too fast—and slow down before you have to.
Read Stephanie's Book
📖 Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World
Get the book on Amazon
Learn More About Stephanie O'Dea
Website: stephanieodea.com
Podcast: stephanieodea.com/podcast
Blog: stephanieodea.com/blog/
Speaking: stephanieodea.com/speaking/
Podcast Notes
Find all podcast notes at stephanieodea.com/podcastnotes
Have a question you'd like Stephanie to cover, or a Slow Living Story of your own you'd like to share? Leave a voicemail.
