Managing Christmas Stress: Art Journal Exercise for Moms
If you're a mom drowning in Christmas stress right now, this post is for you.
That overwhelming feeling when December hits and suddenly you're managing everyone's emotions, expectations, and holiday magic while your own needs disappear? I've been there.
Last December, I was feeling completely overwhelmed by Christmas despite being someone who literally helps mothers navigate overwhelm for a living.
We'd just moved to a new province, all our traditions felt... different, and I felt like I was carrying the entire mental load of Christmas magic for our family.
Hello everyone, I'm Kayla Huszar
a registered social worker and expressive arts therapist who helps mothers work through overwhelm and rediscover themselves through creativity.
What I'm sharing today is the actual 25-minute art journaling session that helped me transform my Christmas anxiety into something manageable and even life-giving.
This art journal practice will help you:
Process where Christmas stress lives in your body
Connect with what you actually need this holiday season
Release expectations that aren't serving your family
Give yourself permission to do Christmas differently
Transform overwhelm into calm presence
Before we dive into the steps, let me explain why this particular approach helps with Christmas stress.
When we're overwhelmed, our nervous systems are activated and we're often trying to think our way out of feelings instead of actually feeling them.
This art journal practice helps because it:
Uses your body's natural wisdom to locate stress
Processes emotions through creativity instead of just thinking
Connects you with childhood joy before addressing current stress
Transforms negative energy into something life-giving
Gives you practical insights about what you actually need
You can watch the full session here where I guide you through the process, or follow along with the written steps below.
Prepare Your Space for Christmas Stress Relief
Since this is a reflective practice designed to calm your nervous system, creating the right environment is crucial for moms dealing with holiday overwhelm.
Here's how to set up:
Choose a quiet space where you won't be interrupted (even if it's your car!)
Dim the lights or use a small lamp instead of overhead lighting
Turn off notifications on your phone
Grab a blanket or cushion to get comfortable
Put on soft background music if it helps you relax
If you're holding a baby or have little ones around, do what you need to do to be as present as possible
Important for overwhelmed moms: If you can't find 25 uninterrupted minutes, that's okay. Even 10 minutes of this practice can help shift your nervous system out of stress mode.
Materials You Need
The materials for this practice are simple:
Art Journal or Paper (any kind works)
Colored pencils, markers, or crayons
The 4-Step Christmas Stress Relief Practice for Moms
This isn't just another relaxation technique - it's specifically designed to address the unique overwhelm that mothers experience during the holidays. Here's exactly what we'll work through:
Step 1: Holiday Stress Body Scan (5 minutes)
Start at the top of your head and slowly scan down to your toes
Notice areas of tension, tightness, or heaviness
Don't try to fix anything - just notice where December overwhelm lives in your body
Pay special attention to your shoulders, jaw, chest, and stomach
If you're feeling anxious or scattered, you might need to go faster and repeat this step
Step 2: Childhood Christmas Memory (8 minutes)
This step helps you reconnect with the joy and magic of Christmas before the adult responsibilities took over. If you didn't have good childhood Christmas memories, that's completely valid - we'll work with that too.
What to do:
Think of your best or most memorable childhood Christmas
If you don't have positive memories, imagine the Christmas you wish you'd had
Bring that memory into focus - what did you see, smell, hear, taste?
Who was there? What activities brought you joy?
Notice how your heart feels when you connect with that memory
If grief comes up around missing people or missing innocence, let yourself feel that too
Why this matters: This step reminds you what Christmas magic actually feels like before adult stress complicated it. It helps you remember what you're actually trying to create for your own family.
Step 3: Current Christmas Reality Check (5 minutes)
Now we gently bridge from that childhood memory to your current Christmas experience. This is where we identify what's causing your holiday stress without judgment.
Questions to explore:
What feels unfinished or unspoken about this Christmas?
What are you dreading about the holidays?
How is this Christmas different from that childhood memory?
What do you actually need right now (not what you think you should need)?
What expectations are you carrying that might not even be yours?
Be gentle with yourself: If emotions come up here, that's normal. Christmas can bring up grief, disappointment, or anxiety about living up to expectations.
Step 4: Creative Transformation (7 minutes)
Give your Christmas stress a color, shape, or image
Draw it, collage it, or just visualize it clearly
Notice the size, texture, movement of this stress image
Now imagine transforming that image into something that gives you life and energy
What would that look like? Maybe the tangled mess becomes flowing water, or the heavy rock becomes rich soil for growing something beautiful
Create or visualize this transformed image
Why this works: When we externalize stress through creativity, it stops being something that's happening TO us and becomes something we can work WITH.
BONUS: 12 Christmas Journal Questions for Moms
After your creative practice, spend some time with these fill-in-the-blank questions. These often reveal unconscious beliefs we have about Christmas that might be contributing to our stress:
When it comes to Christmas, I think I should...
My family expects me to...
A "good mom" at Christmas would...
If I don't _______, then Christmas will be ruined
The best solution to a chill Christmas would be...
What I actually need this holiday season is...
I would feel less overwhelmed if...
My ideal Christmas morning looks like...
One Christmas tradition I'm ready to release is...
I give myself permission to...
It would be okay if this Christmas we didn't...
My family's actual temperament requires...
Take your time with these questions. Write continuously without editing yourself. Often the most helpful insights come from the thoughts we initially want to dismiss.
3 things this Practice Revealed for Me
The Regulation Revelation: I realized the solution to Christmas overwhelm wasn't doing more or less - it was being more regulated. Less overscheduled, less rushed, fewer expectations that guaranteed disappointment for everyone.
The Mental Load Reality: I discovered I'd been carrying the entire emotional infrastructure of Christmas magic while my own needs became invisible. Even though my partner was going to be home that year (unlike previous Christmases when he worked), I had no idea how to share that mental load.
The Permission I Needed: The phrase that came to me was: "Hard moments are likely going to happen, and that's okay because I am smarter, wiser, warmer, and way more wonderful than I was last Christmas."
This practice helped me honor our family's actual temperaments instead of forcing us into holiday perfection that was never going to work for us anyway.
When Christmas Feels Impossible: You're Not Alone
Get the complete workshop + workbook to reclaim your holiday joy.
If you're reading this while feeling overwhelmed by holiday expectations, know that you're not the only mom struggling with Christmas stress. The pressure to create magical memories while managing everyone's emotions is real, and it's exhausting.
What I've learned both personally and professionally is that the most regulated version of yourself creates more Christmas magic than any perfectly executed holiday plan ever could.
Your worth as a mother isn't measured by how seamlessly you execute the holidays. It's found in your willingness to show up authentically and prioritize connection over perfection.
FAQ: Christmas Stress Relief for Moms
Q: What if I don't have time for the full 25-minute practice?
A: Even 5-10 minutes of the body scan and reflection questions can help shift your nervous system. Don't let perfect be the enemy of helpful.
Q: What if I start crying during the childhood memory part?
A: That's completely normal. Christmas can bring up grief, loss, or disappointment. Let yourself feel whatever comes up - emotions want to move through you, not get stuck.
Q: What if I don't have good childhood Christmas memories?
A: You can imagine the Christmas you wish you'd had, or focus on any memory of feeling safe and loved during the winter season. The goal is connecting with joy and safety, not specific Christmas imagery.
Q: How do I handle Christmas stress when I can't get away for this practice?
A: You can do a shortened version anywhere - even a 30-second body scan in the bathroom or while waiting in the car pickup line can help regulate your nervous system.
I hope this practice brings you some peace during what can be a challenging season for mothers.
Remember - you're already enough, exactly as you are.
Your Turn: What Came Up for You?
Let me know in the comments below if this practice helped you process Christmas overwhelm. What insights surprised you? What's one thing you're ready to stop forcing this holiday season?
Sometimes sharing these realizations helps us actually follow through on the changes we want to make.
This post contains information about my membership program and therapeutic practices. As always, this content is for educational purposes and doesn't replace professional mental health support if you need it. Thank you for supporting my work in helping mothers navigate overwhelm through creativity and self-compassion!
