7 Simple Tips to Stay Balanced During the Holiday Season

The holiday season seemed to creep up on me this year. One day I was trick-or-treating with my children, and the next I was testing my Thanksgiving pie recipe. When I realized the holiday dinner was right around the corner, I felt a wave of overwhelm. The calendar was quickly filling with school events, travel plans, and family gatherings, not to mention the life admin that goes into gifting, cooking, and trying to make the season feel special. So I sat down and wrote out everything I needed to do, and that simple brain dump helped me feel clear and organized for the festive weeks ahead. Putting pen to paper is always a powerful way to get out of your head and into the present moment.

If you’re also feeling overwhelmed this time of year, you’re not alone. Here are seven tips and tools to help you stay grounded and balanced this season, so you can enter 2026 with a strong foundation for how you want to feel in the year ahead.

Break Free from the Cycle Mentality

There was a time in my life when the holidays represented the ultimate all-or-nothing cycle. In my 20s, this season meant late nights, overeating, over-exercising, restricting, and then setting resolutions in January that never lasted. My relationship with food and my body felt anything but balanced.

It wasn’t until my 30s that things finally shifted. As I developed a healthier relationship with both wellness and myself, I became better able to navigate the holidays in a more grounded and sustainable way. Over the years, my self-care practices during this season have only gotten stronger, and the mindset shifts I’m sharing here are the simple rituals I now rely on daily and weekly. And now, especially as a mom of two young kids, I know how important it is to stay present, centered, and connected to myself throughout this season.

7 Tips & Mindset Shifts to Stay Balanced

Use the Power of Visualization

Before the busyness fully ramps up, pause and ask:

How do I want to feel on January 1st?

Grounded? Energized? Peaceful? Clear? Proud?

Write it down. Let that feeling become your North Star this season.

Every choice will either move you toward that feeling or away from it, which creates a gentle framework for how you want to show up — not from perfection, but from intention.

You can also use visualization in smaller moments:

Before walking into a family gathering
Before a holiday meal
Before traveling
At the end of a long day

Try asking:

“How do I want to feel on the other side of this?”

Small moments add up.

Practice Segment Intending

Instead of viewing the entire holiday season as one overwhelming experience, break it into segments, like chapters.

For example:

The morning of the holiday
The drive to an event
The gathering itself
The meal
The after-dinner lull
The next morning

Set an intention for just the next segment:

“I choose to stay grounded and open.”
“I honor my hunger and fullness.”
“I choose connection over conflict.”
“I remain flexible even if plans change.”
“I come back to myself when this is over.”

The magic of segment intending is that you get permission to reset at any moment. You don’t have to carry the energy of one experience into the next.

Every moment is a fresh start.

Treat Most of the Season Like Regular Life

Yes, the holidays come with special meals, travel, and late nights, but in between those moments, there is still normal life happening.

There are:

Mornings
Evenings
Weekdays
Routines

Anchoring into your foundational habits (even if they have to be simplified) keeps you grounded.

Ask yourself:

If you don’t eat pie every day in June, do you need to eat it every day in December?
If your walks or morning routines matter in February, can they still matter (even in a smaller way) now?

It’s the all-or-nothing thinking that creates the crash-and-reset cycle.

You won’t need to “get back on track” in January because you never veered (too far) off course.

Protect Your Self-Care (It’s Not Selfish)

During the holidays, we tend to take care of everyone else first:

family expectations
school activities
hosting
gift lists
travel logistics

But the truth is this:

When you take care of yourself, everyone benefits.

Recently, I felt myself becoming short-tempered and overwhelmed. Instead of pushing through, I went on a 40-minute walk. Fresh air, sunshine, and movement completely shifted my energy, and I showed up better for my family the rest of the day.

Self-care doesn’t need to be elaborate:

a walk
hydration
stepping away for five minutes
going to bed earlier
asking for help
saying no when needed

Micro habits make macro impact.

Your family doesn’t need more from you, they need you regulated, present, and well.

Know Your Personal Limits Around Alcohol and Sugar

This season naturally brings more opportunities to drink and enjoy dessert. Neither is “bad,” and I’m never going to tell you to avoid them completely.

But awareness matters.

Instead of rules, think boundaries:

How much feels good in your body?
At what point does it stop being enjoyable?
What leaves you feeling anxious, wired, inflamed, or foggy the next day?

For me, two drinks is my sweet spot. Anything beyond that shifts the experience from enjoyable to disruptive, so that’s my boundary.

The same goes for sugar.

A helpful strategy is what I call the pleasure parabola:

Enjoy enough to reach the peak of satisfaction, then stop before the enjoyment starts decreasing. Mindfulness helps you savor without spiraling.

Moderation isn’t deprivation, it’s self-respect.

Use a To-Do List and a To-Done List

This simple practice is a game-changer during busy seasons.

Morning: To-Do List

Gets everything out of your head and onto paper
Creates structure and clarity
Prevents mental overload

Evening: To-Done List

Write down what you actually accomplished, not just what was on the list
Helps shift from “I didn’t do enough” to “I did so much more than I realized”

That sense of completion reduces stress and builds confidence, even on the messy days.

Give Yourself Permission to Enjoy the Magic

This time of year, presence is so much more important than perfection.

The holidays are not about:

the perfect house
the perfect schedule
the perfect outfits
or doing everything “right”

They’re about connection.

My husband recently pointed out that I don’t allow myself to be silly very often; I hate to admit this, but he was right. As a mom with a lot on my plate, it’s easy to live in productivity mode. But kids have a way of bringing us back into wonder.

Let yourself: