‘I have to say no during the holidays, to the office party, to the Secret Santa dinner ALL my mom friends are attending.’: Mom reminds us you don’t have to be ‘constantly on’ during holidays

“I’m an introverted mom, so sometimes I have to say no during the holidays,

to the office party,

to the Secret Santa dinner that ALL my mom friends are attending,

and I miss out.

Because, yes, those things can be fun, but they also drain my soul that is already low on fuel from the day with my children and their holiday events.

Because being a mom during this season is extra chaotic. It’s constant planning, noise, parties, and activities.

It’s constantly being on.

I’ve always been a yes girl during this season because I’m a people pleaser at heart, but when I do that, I find my mental health suffering.

I become overwhelmed by the day-to-day and don’t feel as ‘merry’ as I should because my soul desperately needs the quiet to recharge.

Time is finite, and as moms, we need to pick and choose what we feel we need most.

We’re putting everyone else’s needs before our own all day, so we need to be more critical of what we devote our time to, or we’ll burn out.

Because it’s hard when the only ‘me time’ of the day exists at night after work or whatever responsibilities we have.

And then if we have holiday commitment after holiday commitment, we have no time.

I used to think to be a kind human I had to always say yes, especially during the holidays.

But I’ve learned to say no to other people so I can say yes to myself.

And I’ve learned to say no for my kids because that’s how I’ll be the best mother to them.

Because I’m important, too.

And remaining the best version of me, not only for me but for my family and our time together is more important than any outside holiday commitments.”

This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Danielle Sherman-Lazar of New Jersey. You can follow her journey on Facebook and her blog. Submit your own story here, and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories.

Read more from Danielle here:

‘Everything’s going to be alright,’ we whisper. She can swoop in and make it all better, but she doesn’t have superpowers.’: Mom says ‘we’re humans that struggle too’

‘Her hard may be little compared to your hard, but she has reason to feel overwhelmed, and she deserves your empathy.’: Mom says ‘push judgement aside, no one’s having an easy time right now’

‘We can’t forget each other. Us is where it started.’: Mom urges ‘give grace’ to your partner, ‘Your entire family will feel it’

The Quiet Time Fuels Her Heart In A Way That Sleep Can’t

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