How to Have a Calmer Christmas: Gentle Support for Overwhelmed Mums This December
As December creeps closer, many mums feel a familiar shift. The to-dos multiply, the pace quickens, and suddenly the season that is supposed to feel magical starts to feel… a bit much. You adore seeing your little ones light up, but there is also a quiet weight that builds as all the invisible labour lands squarely on your shoulders.
December has a habit of asking everything from us - our time, our energy, our emotional capacity - and wrapping it up in the word “magic.” From the moment the first Christmas advert lands, the pressure begins. Gifts to sort. Nursery and school announcements to keep track of. Family schedules to coordinate. All while trying to hold onto some sense of calm in the middle of it.
You’re the one remembering the key worker and teacher presents, the Christmas jumper day, the nativity costume that needs tinsel but not the itchy kind. You’re the one wrapping late into the night once the house is finally still, determined to make it special because that’s what good mums do, isn’t it?
But somewhere between the glitter-covered crafts, the matching pyjamas, and the family WhatsApp threads, you realise you’ve had about three quiet minutes to yourself all week. And even that felt like a luxury.
This part of December rarely gets spoken about. We love the season, but it can pull us in every direction. It becomes a strange blend of excitement and exhaustion, where you’re smiling on the outside but silently wishing for a moment to catch your breath. So many mums feel stretched thin by it all.
The Myth of the Perfect Christmas
For years we’ve been told that a perfect Christmas is the one where every detail is curated. The right presents, the right photos, the right memories crafted with care. The message is subtle but powerful: the more you do, the more magical it will be.
But when you think back to your own childhood, what stands out?
Not the perfectly coordinated wrapping or the carefully staged events, I bet.
You remember the feeling. The warmth. The laughter. The simple traditions that made you feel safe and loved.
When my daughter was little, I poured so much effort into trying to get every detail right. One year, on Christmas Eve as I was tucking her up in bed, she told me she hoped Father Christmas would bring her fairy dust. Fairy dust was definitely not on my very organised list! I panicked for a moment, then grabbed a clean jam jar, poured in some salt and glitter, glued the lid, and tucked it into her stocking.
The next morning, she found it right at the heel of her stocking. Her face lit up. She is twenty-five now, and the jar still sits on her bookshelf.
It wasn’t the expensive gifts she remembered. It was the moment. The wonder. The feeling of connection.
Our children don’t need a production. They need presence. They need calm. They need us - not the burnt-out, stretched-thin version of us trying to keep everything afloat.
A calmer, more grounded Christmas starts there. With connection, not perfection.
A Different Kind of December
What December really needs is space. A moment for you. Not another festive task or another magical experience to create. And certainly not another bloody elf to move!
A gentler December begins with a pause. A breath. A reminder that your needs matter too, especially in a season that asks so much of you.
That’s exactly why I created The Calm Advent Calendar. It is a series of 24 daily messages designed to give you a few grounding moments each morning throughout December. Not another thing to add to your list. Not another expectation. Just a quiet nudge back to yourself.
From 1 to 24 December, you’ll receive one small message in your inbox each morning. Nothing overwhelming. Nothing time-consuming. No pressure, no perfection - simply a moment to breathe and reconnect with yourself before the day ramps up.
Because you can love Christmas deeply and still find it demanding. You can pour your heart into creating magic for your little ones and still long for a little calm of your own. Both can be true.
And when you feel steadier within yourself, everything shifts. The chaos softens, the pace eases, and the magic feels closer again.
If December is already starting to feel like too much, maybe this is the year to gently choose just enough.
You deserve that.
Join The Calm Advent Calendar here.
