Soft Self-Care for Loud Seasons (Because December Is A Lot)
Let’s be honest for a moment.
The holidays are… a lot.
They’re loud. Emotionally, socially, energetically.
There’s music everywhere, expectations everywhere, people everywhere. And somehow we’re all expected to show up joyful, present, and put-together while juggling schedules, gatherings, and approximately forty-seven obligations.
Real life doesn’t pause just because the calendar says “festive.”
Some of us move through this season feeling reflective. Quieter than usual. Maybe holding grief, loss, or the weight of a year that stretched us thin.
Others are bursting with joy. Full sparkle. Full energy. Thriving. Hosting. Making lists and memories and baking three kinds of cookies before noon.
And many of us are doing both—sometimes in the same hour. But you know what, here’s the thing that matters most:
Both are normal. Both are valid. Both belong here.
We are all standing in different chapters of life right now, even if we’re sitting at the same table.
Families, kids, and all the things
For those navigating kids, multiple family gatherings, extended families, blended families, or broken ones—this season can feel like a beautiful circus. And sometimes… just a circus.
You’re showing up for everyone.
Making magic.
Keeping traditions alive.
Being the calm in the chaos.
And often, your own needs quietly slide to the bottom of the list.
Which makes sense. Giving brings joy. Creating memories matters.
But here’s the gentle reminder we all forget:
You matter too.
Soft self-care doesn’t mean disappearing for hours or escaping real life. It means finding moments to smile within it.
A pause.
A breath.
A laugh.
A small gift to yourself—without guilt attached.
You’re allowed to receive, not just give.
When the season feels heavy
If you’re feeling tender or nostalgic, you don’t need to pretend you’re okay.
Honoring your emotions doesn’t make you negative. It makes you human.
But here’s the part that often gets skipped:
You don’t have to live inside the heaviness to honor it.
You can:
hold space for reflection
laugh at something silly
step outside for air
choose warmth when the weight gets heavy
That’s not avoidance. That’s care.
Think of it as lifting yourself just enough so you don’t start drowning in what hurts.
Soft self-care (holiday edition)
This season doesn’t need perfection. It needs gentleness.
Soft self-care looks like:
lowering expectations
saying no without explaining
protecting your energy like it’s precious
letting joy show up in small, quiet ways
It’s choosing softness in a loud world.
And if you’re feeling joyful?
Let it shine.
For me, this matters deeply. I’ve lived through loss that gutted me to my core. I’ve known grief in a way that changes you forever. And still… I am someone who laughs. I’m someone who shines. I’m a ball of energy who finds joy even after heartbreak.
That doesn’t mean the pain wasn’t real.
It doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt just as deeply.
It means I learned that carrying that weight every hour of every day is debilitating. And I choose not to live there.
Your joy doesn’t take anything away from someone else’s healing.
Laughter doesn’t cancel empathy.
Celebration doesn’t erase compassion and it doesn’t mean you didn’t love deeply or hurt fully.
There’s room for light and healing to exist at the same time.
There’s room for all of us— exactly where we are.
A Mused Moment
If today feels loud, choose something soft.
If today feels heavy, choose something warm.
If today feels joyful, let it be joyful—no guilt required.
Give freely. Love deeply.
And don’t forget to gift yourself a moment, too.
Wishing you a very warm, gentle, and merry Christmas—filled with peace, laughter, and just enough light to carry you forward. 🎄💛
