The title says it all: this week, I describe the tools I used to heal from my case of epic burnout.

Coming soon: the transcript! But it’s Thanksgiving week; my kids are off from school; and we have so many family activities happening, it’s a small miracle I even remembered to post this episode. Baby steps.

This is Part One of a three-part miniseries about the epic burnout I experienced in 2023.

Coming soon: the transcript! I am finally going to level up my podcasting game and include transcripts for my episodes (insert wild applause here!) I’ll post that transcript here as soon as I get my act together.

To be honest, I should have recorded this episode a few weeks ago before Halloween but hey, better late than never. Ever year, as I head into the cozy chaos of the holiday season, I like to give myself a pep talk so I don’t lose my mind over gingerbread houses and gift wrap. The key message for this year’s pep talk is encapsulated in the episode title: How to Sleigh YOUR Holidays and Deck FAKE holidays.

Because it’s easy to forget, but these are YOUR holidays.

And much of the stress that surround your holidays? FAKE! FAKE! COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY F-A-K-E FAKE!

First, let’s remember that these are YOUR holidays:

• We all holiday differently, because we have different interests, passions, traditions and histories. So how do YOU holiday? It’s not about what someone on social media does. Or your neighbor. Or that movie or that Pinterest board or whatever. What makes the holidays truly special for YOU? 
• Don’t get sucked into the vortex of comparing your holidays to someone else’s. Those other folks? They are doing what works for them for their unique reasons, and they have all sorts of private drama and issues going on that we don’t even know about, and if we want to get really cynical, we don’t even know if what they are doing is working for them. Just because they look like they enjoy creating a thousand crochet gifts does not mean they actually enjoy creating a thousand crochet gifts. They might be having the time of their life or they might be secretly miserable.
• Don’t get hijacked by someone else’s agenda. Most importantly, remember: companies are looking to make money! Do you really need brand new matching stockings, pillows, and Christmas tree skirt, or are you just being influenced by the ads that assault us every time we log onto social media? Likewise, do you really want to spend weeks turning your front lawn into a winter wonderland or are you just competing with the neighbors?

Second, pay attention to whether stress is real or FAKE.

• Beware of the word “should” because it gets thrown around a lot, but there’s a huge difference between “I should get eight hours of sleep” and “I should bake twenty different types of gourmet cookies and then stay up all night addressing holiday cards.”
• Think about your values and what you really want out of the holidays. When you are getting stressed about something, ask yourself, Does this align with my values? Or am I getting sucked into someone else’s values or agenda?
• Remember: holidays bring out our innate human weirdness. Emotions get heightened. Please please please, give yourself space and grace for your feelings. But remember: the world will not end if your kid accidentally pees on Santa’s lap while taking holiday photos.

Note to self: when I get whipped into a frenzy and start to panic over really dumb things (it’s inevitable), I need to listen to this episode (even if it is really weird to listen to my recorded voice!)

Another note to self: Pippa and Julian love making gingerbread houses but BUY THE KITS AT WALMART and embrace the fact that this tradition will end in architectural chaos. No snowman will actually be harmed when the gingerbread roofs collapse beneath the weight of gumdrops.