When Money is Tight During the Holidays
The holidays can feel extra tough when money is tight. Everywhere you look, there’s a not-so-subtle message that love = spending. Whether it’s gift exchanges, matching family pajamas, hosting expectations, or travel plans, it sometimes feels like suddenly December shows up with zero regard for your budget.
If you’re feeling anxious, ashamed, or behind while scrolling through cozy Christmas content, pause right here: you are not doing life wrong. Financial stress doesn’t mean you lack discipline or effort, it means you’re navigating a system that makes surviving expensive.
A lot of people quietly grieve the holidays they wish they could create. And that grief often comes with guilt, like you should just be more grateful. But two things can be true: you can appreciate what you have and feel sad that this season looks different than you imagined.
Your worth is not tied to what you can afford. Thoughtfulness isn’t a receipt. Sometimes it’s showing up without putting your January self into full panic mode.
✨Therapist Tip✨
When money stress shows up, notice the story your brain tells you ie. “I’m failing,” “I should be doing more”. Try gently replacing judgment with context: “I’m doing the best I can with what I have.” This shift helps reduce shame, and shame is the thing that makes everything heavier.
If this season keeps bringing up anxiety around money, self-worth, or comparison, it may be something worth unpacking with support. The new year doesn’t have to mean “new you,” but it can mean finally giving yourself space to talk about what’s been weighing on you.
This One’s For the “Magic Maker” Moms Who are Deeply Tired
If you’re a mom, there’s a good chance the holidays feel less “magical” and more like project management with emotional labor sprinkled on top. You’re coordinating gifts, budgeting, traditions, schedules, meals, and everyone’s feelings, all while pretending you’re not completely overstimulated.
If you’re snapping more, crying in private, or fantasizing about disappearing into a quiet hotel room, you are not a bad mom. You’re a human mom in a season that asks way too much.
There’s an unspoken expectation that moms should create childhood magic effortlessly. But magic that comes from burnout isn’t sustainable. Kids don’t need perfection. They need presence. They need safety. They need a regulated caregiver more than a flawless holiday.
You’re allowed to simplify. You’re allowed to lower the bar. You’re allowed to enjoy the holidays too, not just manage them.
✨Therapist Tip✨
When you feel overwhelmed, ask yourself: “What am I doing out of obligation rather than alignment?” Removing even one non-essential task can reduce emotional overload more than pushing through ever will.
If motherhood and the mental load feel especially heavy right now, therapy can be a place to put everything down for an hour with no performing, and no holding it together.
As the new year approaches, you’re allowed to choose support. You don’t have to do this season, or the next one, on empty. Reach out here to book a session with a therapist who gets it.
If cost has been a barrier, our low-cost therapy program, The Care Edit, is reopening in January 2026. Read about it here.
