Feeling overwhelmed with everything that comes with Christmas? You are not alone, here are 5 tips to help reduce that Holiday stress and find a little peace this festive season.

For many women, Christmas isn’t simply a season of sparkle and joy — it’s a season of pressure, overwhelm and stress.

Pressure to plan, organise, remember, create magic, keep everyone happy, and hold the emotional temperature of the entire household, often while still juggling work, hormones, sleep, and the daily demands of life.

Many women tell me they feel anxious, overstretched, or close to burnout long before the big day arrives — and it’s completely understandable.

Why Christmas Overwhelm Happens

Christmas can stir up stress for lots of reasons, especially for women who carry the invisible load all year round. December amplifies it.

Here are some of the most common reasons:

The “Make It Perfect” Pressure

Many women feel responsible for creating the “perfect” Christmas — the perfect gifts, the perfect food, the perfect atmosphere.

This silent expectation often falls on mums, leaving them emotionally and physically drained before the festivities even begin.

Emotional load

Women often manage everyone else’s feelings — making sure children are excited, partners are relaxed, relatives feel included, and that no one is disappointed. Holding all of that is exhausting.

Sensory overload

The noise, busyness, bright lights, constant stimulation and disrupted routines all put pressure on the nervous system. Making you prone to forgetting to eat, stay hydrated, headaches and frayed patience.

Hormonal fluctuations and fatigue

Perimenopause, sleep struggles, low mood and stress make emotional regulation harder. When your reserves are already low, the Christmas rush feels even heavier.

Comparison culture

Seeing curated, polished Christmas moments online can leave us feeling like they’re not doing enough, giving enough or being enough.

No time left for you

Your own needs slide to the bottom of the list — because everything feels urgent and everyone else seems to come first.

Together, these pressures create a perfect storm for overwhelm. But the good news is: there are gentle ways to bring calm back into the season.

How to Reduce Christmas Stress (Without Adding More to Your To-Do List), my top tips:

The aim isn’t to squeeze more in — it’s to support your nervous system with small, compassionate steps.

1. Soften your expectations

You don’t need to deliver a flawless Christmas; we can’t live in a Hallmark movie or an Instagram picture. It’s an unrealistic pressure to put on yourself.

Good enough is more than enough—and often far kinder to your wellbeing -perfection is massively overrated.

Remember that it is just one day.

2. Protect quiet pockets of time

Even five minutes can reset your system:

  • A slower breath.
  • A cup of tea alone.
  • A moment outside.
  • Take time to sit with your dog, cat, or book to regain some clarity and calm.

These tiny pauses make a big difference.

3. Create one small boundary

Say no without guilt. The best advice a friend said to me is “Don’t offer excuses or reasons to decline an invitation you don’t want to attend, say No, thank you, that’s enough”

Simplify meals (I had a client who felt immense pressure to cook the traditional Christmas dinner that the kids hated and wouldn’t eat. She decided to give them Pizza and get an M&S meal deal for her and her spouse. Christmas day was easier, calmer, and much more pleasant.)

Limit social plans -social burnout is common and exhausting. A single boundary can bring immense relief.

4. Prioritise sleep wherever possible

Your emotional resilience grows when you feel rested.

Even going to bed 10–15 minutes earlier can lower stress levels.

Try to get to bed at a similar time each night (I’m not delusional; I know the schedule goes out the window over Christmas Holidays). Keep it realistic, and going to bed and getting up at roughly the same times will help keep your circadian rhythm from getting totally out of whack, making going back to work easier.

5. Ask yourself daily: “What do I need today?”

This small question can shift everything.

It reconnects you with balance and reminds your brain that your needs matter too.

We can often prioritise everyone else and put ourselves at the bottom of the pecking order.

It doesn’t need to be perfect to be meaningful.

As you move through the holidays, remember that you’re allowed to slow down, take up space, and choose what truly supports your wellbeing. Christmas doesn’t need to be perfect to be meaningful — it simply requires you to be present, cared for, and breathing a little easier.

By easing the pressure and honouring your own needs, you create a calmer, kinder season for yourself and everyone around you.

If you’d like to enjoy some moments of calm, you can access my free supporting track here

And if you’d like some help with anxiety, stress, overwhelm or anything else, you can contact me for more details about how Hypnotherapy can help you here: