Guide: One Way Women Entrepreneurs Can Manage Holiday Stress

Tis’ the season, they say. 

Tis’ the season of joy, connection, and warmth. And it’s also the season of burnout and holiday stress. 

The American Psychological Association reports that for most of us, stress increases during the holidays.

This is why one of my biggest holiday stress tips is to plan for it.

As you head into seasonal festivities, planning ahead for seasonal stressors is crucial. Accepting and anticipating likely or potential triggers allows you to manage holiday stress strategically. Reflecting on your triggers, pinpointing stressful situations or tasks, and formulating a plan to safeguard your well-being will yield significant benefits.

So let’s talk about it. 

How can we “plan” for stress? 

What does the process look like? 

Let’s get into it.

Sources of Stress for Women Entrepreneurs

Like many others, women entrepreneurs often grapple with unique stressors during the holidays. 

Five of the most common sources of stress include:

1. An increased workload that comes with end-of-year housekeeping like launching, sales, and planning
2. Balancing more personal and professional demands and commitments
3. More financial pressures associated with gift-giving, travel, and other holiday expenses
4. Heightened psychological stress from dealing with emotionally fraught relationships or people

Amid these pressures, the physical and mental toll of holiday stress can be substantial, leading to fatigue, anxiety, and a sense of overwhelm (and maybe a few tears).

It's crucial for women entrepreneurs navigating the holiday to recognize the need for a stress management plan tailored to their needs during the holiday season. 

5 Strategies To Design A Plan that Works for You

Strategy 1: Prioritize Practical Self-Care

Self-care in the form of stress-relief activities is the foundation of your plan. 

It is an excellent practice that applies to the holidays now and in the future, and you can use it in your daily life as well.

Here are some of the most important strategies.

Maintaining routines will help you ground through chaotic times and ensure that essential things aren’t overlooked. For instance, you might protect your exercise and meditation routines because you know how they help set a positive tone for the day. 

Allocating time for relaxation, rest, and leisure activities is equally essential. Moments of respite go a long way in discharging stress from your system and providing a much-needed refresh. This could mean setting aside a specific evening each week for a cozy movie night with loved ones or by yourself. It could also mean taking time to indulge in a favorite hobby.

What are the self-care routines that help you manage stress? 

Strategy 2: Establish Boundaries That Protect Personal Time

You need personal time to honor your routines and create opportunities for self-care. 

This could involve communicating special “holiday” boundaries to family, clients, or colleagues regarding schedules and making appointments to "unplug.”

It could also mean limiting time with specific people or situations to protect your mental health or well-being.  

What are three of the most impactful or effective boundaries you could set to protect personal time during the holidays?

Strategy 3: Create a Financial Plan for Holiday Spending

Financial strain creates stress, no matter what time of year it is. This is why the importance of creating a holiday budget can’t be overstated. 

A holiday budget would plan all anticipated expenses, including gifts, decorations, food, travel, and entertainment. Allocating a specific amount to each category helps ensure that spending stays within manageable limits. 

If you need to make your budget stretch, you could do things like explore more cost-effective gift-giving options. For instance, you could craft personalized, heartfelt presents instead of expensive store-bought gifts or organize a gift exchange. You could change your strategy from quantity to quality - perhaps giving one, meaningful gift to select people and giving everyone else a fun card. 

What do you spend the most on during the holidays? What would be a realistic and comfortable holiday budget for you?

Strategy 4: Things to Consider When Creating a Holiday Stress Plan

A plan for managing holiday stress involves two key steps: identifying your personal stress triggers and creating a customized stress-relief plan to address these triggers.

You can start recognizing and listing specific triggers by asking yourself what situations or concerns stress you out the most. Then think about what the trigger may be in each of these situations.  

Common triggers are things like financial anxiety, being overbooked with social obligations and work, or dealing with emotionally fraught relationships or gatherings. They could even be even bouts of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or pervasive “down” feelings. Many find the holidays themselves triggering. 

Brainstorm a list of your triggers. Once you have it, you can being creating a customized stress management plan. 

If one of your triggers is feeling too busy, incorporate time management strategies like prioritizing the most essential tasks, removing activities from your holiday schedule, or allocating extra time for downtime. 

Can you brainstorm three of your most significant holiday stressors?

Create an amazing Self-Care Plan with this free workbook!

Strategy 5: Curate Stress-Relief Strategies for Holiday Stress

Women entrepreneurs need solid stress management strategies to help them navigate running their online business through the holidays. 

Here are some of the most impactful strategies:

• Mindfulness and relaxation practices like meditation, journaling, or body checks provide grounding and rejuvenation. 
• Support a healthy lifestyle by balancing holiday treats with planning nutritious meals and snacks to help resist overindulgence.
• Connect with trusted friends or loved ones for venting, emotional support, and opportunities to share joy and laughter. 

Which of these strategies appeals to you the most? What might it look like for you?

Don’t Forget to Plan for the Unexpected

Planning for the unexpected is a must. Whether it's a surprise event, unanticipated conflicts, or holiday gatherings that don't go as planned, having strategies in place helps you navigate “situations.” 

Stay flexible with your schedule and expectations, communicate openly to address conflicts, and embrace imperfection - yours and others.

If unexpected work stress arises, try exercising a boundary, clearer communication, or delegating. 

You Can Conquer Holiday Stress With a Plan

I hope you're inspired to think about your own plan for managing holiday stress. 

My best holiday tips are to have a good plan, stay adaptable, and create an intention for a nourishing holiday season.

My free Stress-Relief Toolkit for women entrepreneurs uses easy worksheets to guide you through making a plan. You can reuse it as much as you want as your circumstances or needs change.