22/10/2025
Confession: I'm already that person mentally planning Christmas in October.
Not in an excited, festive, cosy way. In a "how am I going to manage all of this" way.
And I'm seeing it in sessions too - women already carrying the weight of December before we've even properly got into November.
The thing about being the default person - the one who remembers the gifts, sends the cards, makes sure everyone's okay - is that the mental load starts months before the actual event.
And here's the pattern I keep seeing (and living):
We ignore it. We push through. We tell ourselves "I'll rest in January." And then we arrive at Christmas running on fumes, resentful, just trying to survive rather than enjoy.
I spent years doing this. Burning out every December. Wondering why I couldn't just "enjoy the festive season" like everyone else seemed to.
What changed? I stopped waiting until I was broken to ask for help.
I started small: journalling before my son woke up. Leaving my phone in another room. Going to my monthly women's circle even when I felt too tired. Taking my therapy sessions outside where nature did half the work.
And I started therapy myself - before the chaos, not after.
This isn't about creating the perfect December or running away to hide in the wilderness (though wouldn't that be lovely?). It's about having support in place before you need it. About practicing boundaries before you're too burnt out to set them.
If you're already feeling that low-level dread building, you don't have to wait.
I offer a free consultation - no pressure, just a conversation about what you're carrying and whether therapy might help you navigate this season differently.
Link in bio, or send me a DM. Sometimes just naming it out loud is the first step.
