Self Care for Mompreneurs During the Holidays

One of the hardest things to do as a mompreneur is to take care of yourself during the holidays. I know because I am guilty of hustling without limit and then my body paying for it later.

I remember one year, I decided I wanted to be the best host. You see, in our culture (Eastern European) it’s all about the food and a lot of food. I decided to make ten different kinds of dishes, decorate the house and host two different parties in one day.

The preparation took at least one week, if not more. The first thing I needed to do was go shopping for all the food and decor. Back then there was no Instacart or Walmart delivery, so all of this had to be done after work when I was already exhausted. I had to stay up in the evenings to prepare the dishes because daytime hours were spent at work or with the kiddos. On the day of Christmas, I was getting up early to do the finishing touches to ensure all the lights were lit, tables decorated, placed all the dishes that needed to be warmed in the oven, got the mashed potatoes started and kids were dressed to standard for the holiday festivities. 

The Reality

When all the guests come over, as a hostess, I typically don’t sit to enjoy a full meal with everyone. I am placing dishes on the table, refilling, getting dessert ready and ensuring everyone is happy. I am a people pleaser, so that didn’t help the situation. Every guest to be happy. At the end of the day, I was left with a pile of dishes, wired kids and a house to clean all over again. The next few days were filled with cleaning up, getting your house back in order and getting back to real life. You are not just trying to put back together your house, but also trying to regroup mentally because some gatherings can be intense. I am pretty sure one of you can relate to me in some way or another and have had a similar experience. 

Slow Down Mompreneur!

Let me start with one small piece of advice – SLOW DOWN! Who are you trying to impress with doing all the things and having all these parties? I made that mistake many years in a row. Taking a huge step back and changing how I handled the holidays and how I was planning to care for myself was the first step to a better holiday. I shouldn’t have to recover from a party for weeks as a mompreneur. It took a few years to learn about the right balance for me during the holidays.

Being a mompreneur and trying to implement self care is really hard. But it is possible. I am not saying you should stop partying. No way. Some people need to have the party in their life and that’s what drives them and that’s their way of resting. But for those of us who are feeling burnt out and wanting to quit the holidays, we need to change a few things. We need to implement self care during this season. And this is where you can start. 

Self Care Defined

Everytime someone said selfcare, I always thought of a spa treatment. Going to get a massage, manicure, pedicure or facial. All of that is really great, but there is another way to take care of yourself that you need to be doing during the holidays. 

Mompreneurs, you need to know that self care is about emptying your plate. Don’t fill it to the brim so it starts to overflow and then you have to pick up all the pieces that fell off. That’s a disaster waiting to happen. Selfcare as a mompreneur is doing what is right for you by implementing some margins. Now what does that mean? Your margin is the selfcare you are going to incorporate during the holiday season, not after. Margin is like white space you create for you. An appointment with self. It’s you time. Sound selfish? Well, don’t forget how you have been feeling the last few years during the holidays and the desire to change a few things about these holidays. 

Mompreneur Self Care Ideas

I know this is not a popular opinion, but I am going to encourage you to take some of these pauses in during the holidays. Create those margins. Block out the white space so that you can once again enjoy Christmas. Here are a few simple ideas that don’t require drastic changes to your holiday season. Just incorporate them as you go. Stop when you feel a slight feeling of being overwhelmed to take in a breath of fresh air. 

• Read a book. If this is something that you love doing and want to do, don’t stop just because of the holidays. Make sure you keep doing that.
• Take a walk. Fresh air and seeing green grass or snow is healing to the soul and mind. I encourage you to just drop the to-do list and allow your mind to rest.
• Watch a Hallmark or a Christmas movie. Grab a friend, your spouse or your kids and a bag of popcorn and just relax. 
• Go shopping. Now this may be contradictory, but for some this may be very relaxing. Go do it! But shop for yourself. Treat yourself and don’t feel bad for taking care of you.
• Go to the salon. Get pampered for the holidays. Graba cup of coffee on your way to the salon. 

Questions to Ask Yourself

Now these are just a few ideas. I didn’t list too many because I want you to think of some margins that fit your lifestyle. Answer a few questions:

• What do I want to do right now that will help me rest/regroup? I say ‘right now’ because in that moment you crave a specific self care that will fulfill your need for rest.
• Do I need people time for this selfcare or is some alone time necessary?
• Why am I in need of self care? Identify what is overwhelming you. Maybe you need to cancel a party, stop doing something or just pause to regroup with some selfcare.
• What are things you love doing that bring you to a resting state? List these on a piece of paper and choose one that fits you best for this moment.

Mompreneur, You Are NOT Selfish!!!

Don’t feel guilty for taking time out for yourself mama. You work hard as a mompreneur and you are a mom. You have a lot of responsibilities and it’s ok to pause. Your selfcare routine comes before any party or gift exchange. Your schedule doesn’t need to be filled 200% with all things holidays and do everything for everyone. It’s just as much a Christmas for you to have a great time as it is for hanging out with friends and hosting. So block that time out and have an appointment with yourself for Christmas. You deserve a little holiday cheer as well.