Every year as the holidays approach, I feel that familiar mix of anticipation and pressure. There’s joy, of course, but there’s also the weight of expectations: places to be, people to see, conversations to navigate, and the never-ending feeling that I should be everything to everyone.

Last year, after saying yes to far too many things, I found myself utterly drained by the second week of December. I was running on autopilot, hopping from gatherings to errands to family commitments with a smile that felt more like a mask. One morning, while scrolling through my calendar, I felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me. My body was telling me what my mind had been ignoring: I needed rest. I needed boundaries.

So, this year, I’ve tried something new. I’ve created a few healthy boundaries to help me navigate the busy season with more intention and ease. Here’s what I’m reminding myself of:

The first time I declined an invitation, I felt like I was letting them down. The second time, my heart still raced, but I felt a little less disappointed in myself. The truth is, those evenings I kept free gave me much-needed rest, which made me far better equipped to handle everything else. And there is science to support this. Research shows that consistently ignoring your own needs for rest increases stress

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