🎄 Holiday Season Without the Tyranny of the Urgent

A Fun + Factual Guide to Staying Sane, Nourished, and Organized

Let’s be honest:
The holiday season has a way of convincing us that EVERYTHING is urgent.

The cookies are urgent.
The gifts are urgent.
The outfits are urgent.
The “Pinterest-perfect” moments are urgent.
Suddenly even the dog needs a Christmas sweater and the lights must be hung at the exact 23° angle for family photos.

But here’s the truth — and it’s freeing:
Most of it is not urgent.
Most of it is simply noise.

And the older I get (and the more grands I have running around), the more I realize that the holidays are less about the hustle…
and more about the holy moments in between the hustle.

So let’s break this down in a way that makes your nervous system exhale

🌿 First: The Perspective Shift

(aka: How to stay out of holiday overwhelm)

The “tyranny of the urgent” tricks you into thinking that EVERYTHING has to be done right now, perfectly, and preferably by you.

But research shows that when we operate in constant urgency, our bodies pump out cortisol like it’s going out of style — which leads to:

brain fog
irritability
poor decision-making
emotional overwhelm
stress eating (hello Christmas fudge)

Your body isn’t meant to live at Level 10 stress for eight straight weeks.

Perspective is your holiday superpower.
Slow down the pace → your mind, hormones, digestion, and sleep.

🎁 Second: The Fun Part

(aka: Tracie’s Holiday Sanity Tips That Actually Work)

These are the things I’ve learned through years of parenting, grandparenting, caregiving, theater seasons, moving chaos, and living a naturopathic lifestyle.

✨ 1. Choose your “Big Three.”

Not everything needs to happen.
So pick three things that matter most to you:

meaningful memories
faith traditions
simple meals
family time
gift-giving with intention
staying nourished

Then let the rest be optional.

✨ 2. Batch your errands.

Your brain loves batching — it reduces stress and saves time.

Try grouping:

grocery store + gift store
post office + coffee stop
returns + grocery pickup

Your nervous system will feel the difference.

✨ 3. Keep your body nourished.

A few simple supports go a long way:

minerals (your adrenals will love you)
NingXia Red
peppermint + citrus oils for energy and mood
protein-rich snacks in your bag
deep breathing & vagus nerve resets need help with this? Be looking to my next blog post.

Holiday peace is physical and spiritual.

✨ 4. Protect your “quiet pockets.”

Even 10 minutes changes everything.

Sit in the car.
Step outside.
Turn on worship.
Pray.
Diffuse something grounding.
Reset your mind before you re-enter the noise.

Quiet pockets = miracle workers.

✨ 5. Pre-prep three meals each week.

Whether it’s a pot of soup, roasted veggies, chicken, or a big salad — future-you will throw confetti in your honor.

Hungry + overwhelmed = meltdown.
Fed + supported = peace.

✨ 6. Make memories, not performances.

Kids and grands don’t care about perfect tablescapes.
They care about:

hugs
cookies with too many sprinkles
pajamas
reading the Christmas story
being with you

Presence > presentation.

🌟 A Final Word

The holidays don’t have to boss you around.

You get to choose:

your pace
your priorities
your peace
your presence
your joy
your rhythms

When you release the “urgent,” you make room for the important.

The moments that matter.
The small miracles.
The people you love.
The faith that grounds you.
And the memories you’ll carry long after the ornaments are packed away.

Here’s to a season that feels nourishing, organized, joyful, and rooted in what truly matters.
We don’t need perfect — we need peace. 💛

We are in a temporary space no big traditional decorations, but closer to family because that is what matters!

A free copy of my Stay Well Guide Here