7 Things Women Struggle With During the Holidays (And Why You Don’t Have to End Your Year This Way)
The holidays are officially here—and with them comes the pressure, the pace, and the emotional weight that so many women quietly carry this time of year.
But you’re not alone.
And you’re not “behind.”
And nothing is wrong with you for finding December… a lot.
In today’s episode, I’m naming the 7 things women struggle with most during the holidays—from the invisible mental load to comparison, overstimulation, food guilt, and the quiet loss of our own joy. These are the patterns that leave us tired, disconnected, and stretched thin by the time January arrives… but it doesn’t have to be that way.
This conversation is your reminder that you don’t need a perfect December—you need an intentional one. And there is a gentler, more grounded way to move through this season.
If you’re craving clarity, peace, and a different kind of holiday rhythm this year… this one’s for you.
LET’S DIVE IN 🖤
Hey hey friends — welcome back to another episode of The SELF CARE Sisterhood.
If you’re in the United States, it’s Thanksgiving week… which means the official kickoff to all the holiday madness is here. But before we dive in, I want to start with this:
I am so GRATEFUL you’re here.
Truly.
I don’t take it lightly that women in every season of life—women walking through highs, lows, breakthroughs, breakdowns, and all the quiet, un-glamorous in-betweens—choose to press play and meet me here. The fact that you trust me with your headspace and your heart space matters to me.
There are women listening today who feel like this year was a breakthrough year— maybe in business, relationships, health, or finances. Women who feel strong, steady, proud.
And then there are women tuning in who… honestly? Are looking for a lifeline. Because this year was not the breakthrough they prayed for. Not even close.
We have women whose mental game has never been sharper— and women who feel like they’re barely holding it together.
We have women feeling confident and at home in their bodies— and women who can’t remember the last time they felt that way.
We have women holding the answers to long-time prayers— and women holding out their hands wondering when their miracle is coming…and quietly wondering if their prayers are even being heard.
Simply put: Every time you press play on this podcast, we are gathering a room full of women who are experiencing everything. The ups, the downs, and the ordinary, unsexy middle spaces of being an intentional human on a growth-based journey.
And because we’re entering the biggest emotional and energetic season of the year, I created something special for us: a 21-day December coaching container called 21 Days of WELLMAS. For 21 days, we’ll gently strip away the pressure, the noise, and the expectations — and focus on what actually helps you feel well. It’s an intimate support space inside The Sisterhood designed to help you move through the holidays with intention, clarity, and steadiness—so you don’t end the year burned out, overwhelmed, or disconnected from yourself. You’ll get:
🪩 1. Weekly Kickoff COACHING (Voxer VOICE NOTES)
Start your week grounded and clear. Each Monday you’ll get a short coaching message from me — mindset support, intentional living prompts, and simple “next right steps” to carry into your week with ease.
🧠 2. Daily Coaching Touch points (M–F)
Real-time coaching in our private Voxer thread: loving reminders + nudges, micro-mindset shifts, Q&A, celebrations, and support when life gets lifey. Just 5–10 minutes a day to stay connected and in your lane.
📖 3. Holiday Bonus Resources (Digital Extras)
Instead of a workbook this season, each week you’ll receive a curated, practical guide to support your BEST SELF — mind, body, and spirit — throughout the holidays.
The WELLMAS Wellness Bundle - Mocktails • Snacks • Simple Wellness Tips for the Busiest Season
The Holiday Survival Guide - Boundary Scripts • Event Survival Tips • Emotional Safety Tools
Romanticize Your December — A Micro-Joy Journal - Small Joys • Daily Rituals • Presence Practice
Simple. Supportive. Easy to use during a full season.
👯♀️ 4. INTIMATE VOXER CIRCLE
A small, safe, supportive group of women walking through the same season as you — without comparison, performance, or pressure.
This is a community of real connection, gentle accountability, honest conversation, and shared humanity. You don’t have to navigate December alone.
✨ 5. OPTIONAL VIP UPGRADE — 3 Live monday Coaching Calls (via Zoom) to kick off your weeks
I’ll share more about it later, but I wanted you to know upfront:
You don’t have to do this season alone.
You don’t have to carry everything by yourself.
And the thing I want tattooed across your mind today is this:
You don’t need a perfect December. You just need an intentional one.
And today… we’re going there. We’re talking about the real stuff women walk through during the holidays.
Let’s name what’s actually happening beneath the surface—because when we name it, we can support it. Alright. Let’s get into it.
Here are the seven things women consistently struggle with during the holidays — and why you’re DEFINITELY not the only one feeling the way you do.
1. The Invisible Mental Load Gets Heavier
We’re starting with a big one.
There is something called the invisible mental load — and most women carry it without ever naming it. It’s the remembering, the planning, the anticipating, the “did anyone feed the dog?”, the emotional temperature checking, the logistics managing…ALL of it happening silently in your brain.
And even if you have a supportive partner, most women carry the majority of the mental load.
Then we hit December and that load multiplies.
Suddenly you’re in charge of gifts, events, schedules, travel, hosting, wrapping, traditions, food, emotions, expectations, and managing the holiday experience for literally everyone.
Of course your brain feels full.
Of course you’re overstimulated.
Of course you feel like you’re on the verge of tears sometimes.
You’re not overwhelmed because you’re “bad at keeping up.”
You’re overwhelmed because you’re carrying a load that was never meant to be carried alone.
2. Routines Fall Apart → Shame Creeps In
Tell me if this sounds familiar:
You’re doing well all fall.
You’ve got structure. You’ve got rhythm.
You feel grounded.
Then November hits, and suddenly everything is “off.”
You’re not as consistent.
You’re missing workouts.
Your meals feel chaotic.
You’re sleeping less.
You’re stressed more.
And the shame spiral begins:
“I ruined it.”
“I messed up again.”
“I’ll start over in January.”
But here’s the truth:
Your routines aren’t failing — they’re shifting to match the season you’re in.
December is full.
Your routine will look different.
Your energy will look different.
There’s nothing wrong with you.
You’re adapting to your reality.
3. Nervous System Overload Is Real
December is wild when it comes to sensory overload. And it’s crazy what that can do to your nervous system without you even realizing it.
Lights, noise, crowds, social events, travel, old memories, family dynamics, expectations…
Your nervous system is absorbing ALL of it.
You’re not dramatic.
You’re overstimulated.
Overstimulation looks like:
snapping faster than usual
feeling edgy
wanting quiet
craving solitude
low patience
feeling “touched out”
being emotionally tired
Your body isn’t malfunctioning.
It’s communicating.
4. Food + Body Guilt Intensifies
Holiday food culture is wild.
There is so much pressure — whether it’s restriction, grazing all day, overeating because you’re busy, or guilt after eating foods you love.
Women internalize so much shame around food during the holidays.
But here’s the truth:
Shame does more harm to your wellness than any dessert ever will.
Nourishment is about care, not control.
It’s meant to support you, not punish you.
5. Overcommitting + People-Pleasing
December is the month women say yes to:
events
school things
office things
family things
emotional labor
hosting
helping
making it magical
saying yes even when you desperately need a no
We override our capacity because we want to be helpful, thoughtful, kind, loving… and because we’ve been conditioned to feel responsible for everyone else’s experience.
But your capacity matters.
Your energy matters.
Your peace matters.
You’re allowed to say:
“That doesn’t work for me.”
“Not this year.”
“I can do simple.”
“I can’t commit to that right now.”
6. Comparison + Holiday Performance Mode
We compare everything in December and social media and the marketing of big companies does NOTHING to help: it’s our homes, the tree, gifts, outfits, the way our body should look in said outfits, holiday plans, family experiences, kids’ reactions, travel, memories…
One open of your phone and you will see all of these on full display for you.
And when we see this kind of stuff, we feel the pressure to fit in and keep up — to produce some magical, cinematic holiday for everyone around us.
But your version of magic is enough.
Your presence is enough.
Your family doesn’t need a performance of someone else’s holiday — they need YOU.
7. Losing Our Own Joy
This one is the hardest to talk about.
Women create magic.
Women hold the traditions.
Women do the emotional labor.
Women make the memories.
And in the process, we often lose OUR joy.
We stop savoring.
We stop noticing little pleasures.
We stop being present in our actual lives.
But your job isn’t to create joy for everyone else this time of year.
Joy is meant for you, too.
FRIENDS, You Don’t Have to End Your Year Like This
So if you’re reading and thinking,
“Yep… that’s me… in all seven categories,”
I want you to hear this clearly:
You do not have to end your year overwhelmed, overstimulated, disconnected, or depleted.
You don’t have to white-knuckle your way through December.
You don’t have to put your wellness on hold.
You don’t have to carry the mental and emotional load alone.
There is a different way.
That’s exactly why I created 21 Days of WELLmas inside The Sisterhood — it’s a cozy, intentional coaching container designed to help you move through December with clarity, grounding, and support.
It’s 21 days of:
daily grounding messages from me inside an app called Voxer
reminders of the anchors that help you show up as your best-self
tools for your mind, body, and spirit
practical weekly guides like a wellness guide with mocktails
a private Voxer sisterhood thread where you are supported, seen, and encouraged
And if you want deeper support? There’s a VIP option with three Monday morning live coaching calls to help you kick off each week with intention.
This isn’t a 21 day program where you start strong only to feel defeated bc you can’t keep up in an already full season.
It’s a companion for the season you’re in.
It’s support.
It’s steadiness.
It’s presence.
It’s sisterhood.
Friend… you deserve to feel well this December.
You deserve support.
You deserve joy.
You deserve clarity and calm and intentional living — not more pressure, more noise, or more burnout.
If you’re craving a different experience this year — one that feels grounded, supported, intentional, and deeply human — I would LOVE to walk with you.
Come join me for 21 Days of WELLmas. You can find all the details at www.inspirebeautybritt.com/jointhesisterhood. Let’s do December differently — together.
PS…This website includes affiliate links. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products + tools that I have personally reviewed, love, and/or use. You can read the full statement HERE.
