How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed by the Holidays

Feeling overwhelmed by holiday chaos? Between gift shopping, family traditions, and keeping your business running, it's easy to burn out. But what if just 15 minutes a day could change everything? In this episode, I’ll show you how to reclaim your time, avoid holiday burnout, and boost your business—all by making small but powerful changes.

Tune in to hear:
- Why exhaustion is hurting your business
- How to carve out 15 guilt-free minutes for yourself
- A simple framework to stay organized and stress-free
- A powerful client story of transformation during the busiest season

Don’t let the holidays run you ragged. Take a breather, find your balance, and show up stronger for both your family and your business.

Dee understands how running a business can be super stressful, especially for moms. Her 1:1 coaching helps you juggle it all without sacrificing yourself or the things you love. Clients have reduced their stress by 50% and doubled their revenue after working with Dee. Schedule your call here to see how Dee can help you reclaim your time easily!

Grab a copy of her book [here].

Connect with Dee:

Instagram: [@deep_dives_withdee]

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**Disclaimer:** This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for any mental health concerns.

Transcript

Ever feel like the holiday season just turned into a non-stop juggling act for you? Between finding the perfect gifts, attending all of these holiday parties, keeping up with your family's traditions, and on top of that, making sure that your business doesn't fall behind? And let's be honest, finding that time for yourself feels like an impossible dream. But what if, even during the busiest time of the year, you could carve out just some time to recharge without feeling guilty or overwhelmed? What if those 15 minutes a day could help you feel more balanced and boost your business? Does that sound good? If that sounds good to you, then you need to stick around, my friend, because we're gonna dive into these easy ways that you can reclaim your time during this holiday season, and how doing that can have a positive impact on your life and your business.

 Welcome to the Inhale, Exhale, Success podcast, where we help women entrepreneurs create a life they love, feel confident in their bodies, and build a business without burning out by equipping them with the best tools, strategies, and my proven formula every businesswoman must have. My name is Dee Medina. Let's get started and be successful together.

 Hola, hola, welcome back to another episode! We are getting closer to the holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Noche Buena—everything, right? As a single mompreneur, I can either let that stress me out, or I can choose to use the methods, practices, and strategies that I teach my clients in my one-on-one sessions to stay stress-free throughout life. 

I'm already hearing it from so many other moms that things are just getting busy right now, and that overwhelm is very real. They’re juggling a million things: doing the holiday shopping, planning the family events, running their businesses, just trying to keep their heads above water. Tell me if this sounds familiar: by the time everyone is in bed, you're just too exhausted to do anything for yourself, let alone plan for your business. That's just the reality for a lot of moms out there during the holiday season. You’re giving everything to your family, to your community, to your business, and you’re leaving little to nothing for yourself.

 Here’s the thing that many moms don’t realize: this constant cycle doesn’t just drain your energy—it affects how you show up in your business. When you’re running on empty, how can you show up? This is what I’ve seen with my clients. When they’re running on empty, trying to do it all and be there for everybody and everything, it’s tough for them to stay creative, motivated, or focused on the things that really matter. The result of that is burnout, and their businesses start to slow down too.

If you're feeling like you’ve got it together, that you’ve done it every year, you’ve been on go mode, survived it, made it through—you’ve done it exhausted. For some of my clients, what happens is that they’re more snappy with their family and friends. I’ve heard it all before from so many moms who say, "Well, I do it every year. I get it done. I’m always on the go. It’s okay if I’m exhausted, I’m used to it." Oh my God, every time I hear "I’m used to it," it just lights a fire in me because then you start believing that exhaustion is acceptable. Being exhausted is okay as long as your kids are happy. Being exhausted is okay as long as it gets done. 

If you're thinking like that, I want to ask you, how is that really affecting your personal life and your business? How much harder is it for you to stay organized or keep up with your clients when you’re feeling exhausted? How is your mood when you’re constantly running around, trying to do it all? You can tell me that you've got things under control all you want, but I’ve been there. I’ve been the exhausted mom, and when you’re exhausted, you are not yourself. Here’s the thing: eventually, you're going to burn out. How is this constant juggling act affecting your personal life and your business? How much harder is it for you to stay organized and keep up with your clients when you’re feeling exhausted?

I work with those women. Some of them say how they snap more at their kids because of that, and then they feel guilty because they can’t focus on their family or their business. So what if, instead of pushing yourself through, you allowed yourself some time to recharge? It can and it has made such a difference, not only for me, but for my clients and their families, and for their businesses too.

I’m going to share a quick story with you about a client who recently started working with me. She was in the same situation that a lot of you might be in right now—feeling the pressure from the holidays coming up and being pulled in a million directions: kids, family, gift shopping, and trying to keep her business running smoothly. Y’all know how it is, trying to do everything for everyone, and at the end of the day, she was just exhausted, barely making it through the next day. When she came to me, she said, "I am so overwhelmed. I don’t even know where to start. My kids have events, my husband wants to take a trip, my family wants to come over, some want us to go over, we don’t know who’s going to do the cooking, my business needs my attention, I have to get my team set up." She just went down a list of all of these things, right?

 I said, "Okay, I hear you. Your family needs you, your life needs you, your business needs you. But where are *you* and your needs in all of that?" She just said, "I can’t even make time for myself. I’ve been wanting to read this book, but I haven’t had a chance to sit down with it." I could hear in her voice that she felt like she was failing because no matter how hard she was trying, she felt like she was letting both her family and her business down.

If you’re in that situation, feeling like you're failing at everything and can’t keep up, I’m going to ask you what I asked her: What if you gave yourself 15 minutes a day? How do you think that could change things for you?

I know how it is when you're in that cycle. I’ve been there myself. When you have everything going on and you're the go-to person, someone asks you, "What if you gave yourself 15 minutes?" You're going to be like, "What is 15 minutes really going to do for me? It's not going to solve all of my problems." Listen, I totally get that, because I’ve said it, I’ve thought it, and I’ve believed it myself. When you’re in the thick of life, 15 minutes feels like nothing. But trust me, if you start small, if you just try it, you’ll see.

I told my client the same thing. She had already signed up to work with me, so she agreed. We set a plan for her to take those 15 minutes a day, no matter how chaotic things got. I want you to do the same. Whatever that is for you, whether it’s drinking a tea in the morning, reading a chapter of your favorite book, or just sitting quietly after your kids go to bed—make that your time. Your me time.

I mean wholeheartedly me time. Not "I’m going to sit on the couch with my husband and have my laptop open," or "I’m going to sit with my kid and check an email." No. Your me time, when it’s not your husband, not your kids, not your business, but you. What is your time?

A lot of women think their me time involves other people. It might be for you, okay? But let’s say you love to hike, you can go with a group and hike. Or let’s say you love pottery, you go to a class to do pottery. The thing is that you’re doing the thing *you* want to do—not the things you think you need to do or feel like you need to do. In my client’s case, we had to discover what exactly it was that she had always wanted to try, something she stopped doing, something for her. We discovered that she wanted to take a dancing class. Within our session, I had her look up a class that was going to be available within that week. She did; she found a class that she was really excited about.

We left it at that. Her and I have it set up so she comes to weekly sessions with me. When she came back, she had this smile on her face. She said, "I had no idea how much I was needing this at this time." We talked a little more, and some of the benefits of those 15 minutes a day and that hour-long class: within a week, she was no longer snapping at her husband or kids as much. She wasn’t bringing business into her family time. She was responding to her team, providing them with solutions instead of ignoring them. She told me, "I actually feel like I’m a little more in control. I feel calmer, and I’m not dreading my work, my family, my business like I was before." She was so amazed at how something so small—just 15 minutes a day—could really shift her entire mood and help her feel more balanced.

 That little break we take for ourselves doesn’t just make us feel better personally. It gives us the clarity we need to show up stronger in our lives, in our businesses. You start hitting those deadlines again, you start feeling more creative again, and you start being able to focus better during your client calls, team meetings—whatever it is you need to be fully present for. You show up as your highest self, and when you show up as your highest self, your business will begin to thrive. That’s all because you gave yourself time to reset.

Now, I believe so strongly in the power of carving out this time for yourself that I have a saying I live by: "30 minutes a day keeps insanity at bay." It’s something I needed to tell myself over and over at the beginning of my journey when it was difficult for me to give myself even five minutes a day. It starts with five, then you can go up to 10, an hour, sometimes two, depending on where you are in life. It’s a practice that becomes a beautiful habit. I even included that quote in my book. So if you're looking for more guidance on how to make these breaks a regular part of your life, you can grab a copy of my book. You can find that in the show notes.

So, let’s go back to you. If you're feeling that chaos right now, if you're feeling the holidays coming up, or if you don’t celebrate the holidays but your business needs you, or if you don’t have a business but your kids are on your back—whatever it is—how would your day change if you gave yourself 15 minutes? Or better yet, 30 minutes to just pause and reset? I want you to think about it. How would that small break impact your mood, energy, and ability to focus on what needs your attention?

One of the things I find women struggle with is giving themselves permission to do things. But what could happen if you gave yourself permission to take a break, just for a few moments, so you can come back more energized and ready to handle everything on your plate—not just for your family, but for your business too? 

I know if you’re in the middle of juggling everything and there’s chaos going on, it’s really hard to think about what you can do. So, I’m going to share with you a step framework that I teach my clients inside my program. It’s all about breaking down the overwhelm and making it manageable. Instead of overloading yourself with a long list of things you have to do, we simplify it.

We focus on one to three important things each day. Because when you simplify your priorities, you feel less stressed and more in control. When you go from a list of 30 things to do down to one to three, you get all your thoughts and to-do’s out on paper. This helps you organize your week without feeling like you're falling behind.

At the beginning of the week, most of my clients do what we call a thought download, which is known as a brain dump. What I’ve learned, and what has been so helpful for me, is getting all our thoughts and to-do’s out on paper. When you do that, it helps you organize your week without feeling like you're behind. We do our thought downloads on Sundays, and then on Mondays, we do a power hour where we take all our thoughts and to-do’s and put them on the calendar.

 The next step is evaluation. At the end of each week, we take a moment to reflect on what went well, what didn’t, and then we adjust the plan for the next week based on everything we’ve learned.

The last piece is pausing—making sure you’re taking breaks. Whether it’s 15 minutes of quiet time, a walk, or anything that helps you refresh, it’s going to help you keep going. It’s going to help you either recover or avoid burnout. But most importantly, it will help you reclaim time for yourself. This is a simple framework you can apply to all areas of your life. If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure what to do next, this step framework is especially helpful.

I know you're a high achiever. I know you're constantly busy. I know you don’t feel fulfilled if things aren’t moving fast. But you don’t need to overhaul everything. You might want to listen to this episode again, but here’s what I want you to do today: I want you to block off 15 minutes for yourself. I know it feels like, "Oh my gosh, I just can’t do it." Then think about it like this: I want you to treat it like an appointment for your kid, a date with your partner, or a meeting with your team. You wouldn’t skip those, would you? I’m sure you wouldn’t.

So whether these 15 minutes for you look like a quiet cup of coffee in the morning, afternoon, or evening, a short walk up and down your neighborhood, or just sitting and reflecting, meditating, or a quick stretch—this is your time to reset. Take that time, then spend five minutes focusing on one thing you want to accomplish for your family, your business, or yourself. It doesn’t have to be a huge thing, just something that moves you forward.

With the clarity you gain after your 15 minutes, you’re going to feel less scattered and more focused. And listen, my friend, you *can* make the time if you prioritize it. It’s just 15 minutes, and those small moments can recharge you in ways that make everything else feel more manageable. When you take care of yourself, you're more effective for everyone around you.

 For my client, those 15-minute breaks became her saving grace. She had the mental clarity and energy to show up more fully for herself, her family, and her business. She was able to follow up with leads and now has two new clients in her business. Her business is starting to thrive again because she’s no longer constantly drained.

 So I want you to imagine what those 15 minutes can do for you. How much more productive and present would you feel if you started taking a little bit more time for yourself? I want you to think about how just 15 minutes to yourself could impact your energy, mood, and focus on your life or your business. If you feel like it’s just impossible to do this on your own, inside my program we help you break down the overwhelm and build a plan that fits your life and helps you thrive—even in the busiest of seasons.

My friend, if you created that routine, what would balance look like in your family and business life? If it’s difficult for you to see that you can actually have a plan for yourself, then I want you to consider working with me. I’d love to help you build a plan that fits your life and helps you thrive during even the busiest of seasons.

Remember, when you take care of yourself, you take care of your family and your business too. So keep breathing, keep organizing, and keep thriving. I’ll see you next time.

 Well, that does it for today’s episode. Thank you so much for joining us on the Inhale, Exhale, Success podcast. If you enjoyed today’s topic, I’d love for you to subscribe so you don’t miss out on other valuable discussions, along with answering questions directly from busy women like you who are looking for ways to make life, business, and weight loss easy. I look forward to having you here with us again next week, and remember, my friend, success begins when you take a moment to breathe, find your balance, and believe in yourself.