JumpStart National Book Week (11/24/25)

QUOTE:  "The truth is our 'Great Holiday To Do List' is a monster that nobody, not even Martha Stewart, could complete without a staff of helpers." (Rebecca Cofino)

MESSAGE:
I’ve Got This: Managing Holiday Stress for Educators

In this second part of my series on Stress, we’re focusing on holiday stress in particular.  

Holiday lights are twinkling, school concerts are approaching, and the semester countdown is officially on. For educators, the holiday season can be a beautiful blend of celebration and overwhelm — often more of the latter than the former. Between end-of-term deadlines, shifting schedules, family expectations, and a never-ending to-do list, stress doesn’t just sneak in — it barges through the door wearing tinsel.

Stress Shows Up in the Body First

During the holidays, stress amplifies. Our brains track every expectation, every performance, every “just one more thing,” and they respond by shifting us into survival mode. Muscles tighten. Sleep gets choppy. Our emotional fuse shortens. The good news? When we understand what’s happening in our bodies, we can intervene.

A quick grounding technique — a long exhale, labeling our emotion, or scanning the body for tension — helps bring us back from “fight-flight-freeze” toward calm and clarity.

Distractions & Catastrophizing: The Season’s Sneaky Stressors

Two mindset traps tend to show up more often this time of year:

Distractions — social media comparison, hallway interruptions, holiday obligations, constant email pings. Some breaks are healthy; others quietly drain our mental bandwidth.

Catastrophizing — the belief that if this lesson, program, or gathering doesn’t go perfectly, everything is ruined. This all-or-nothing thinking increases stress and consumes valuable time.

Try replacing statements like, “If I can’t do it all, I’m failing,” with a more compassionate narrative: “I’m choosing what matters most this season.”

Permission granted to do less — and be well.

Routines & Rituals: Your Holiday Anchors

When everything around us feels chaotic, routines and rituals become stabilizing anchors. They help us protect our energy and create predictability for ourselves and our students.

• A quiet two-minute arrival ritual before students walk in.
• A non-negotiable end-of-day shutdown routine (three tasks, close laptop, walk away).
• A simple family ritual: tech-free dinners, nightly gratitude, a weekly holiday movie.

Think small. Think meaningful. Think sustainable.

Time Management That Honors Your Humanity

Time scarcity hits harder in December. A simple tool to reclaim peace is Holiday Time Triage:

Must Do — truly essential
Should Do — helpful but negotiable
Could Do — nice, but optional
Won’t Do (this year!) — boldly eliminate

Your wellbeing is not worth sacrificing for one more themed activity, one more committee task, or one more “yes” you don’t have capacity for.

You Deserve a “Good Enough” Holiday Season

Stress might be part of this season — but overwhelm doesn’t have to be. With intentional boundaries, emotional regulation strategies, and graceful time management, you can create space for joy, rest, and presence.

This year, let’s all agree: We don’t need to do it all to be enough. Take a breath. You’ve got this.

DAD JOKE:  People have crossed a watermelon with a cauliflower.  People who eat it feel meloncauli.