Erica: Hey, girl. By now, you know I have Her Collective, my online community for ambitious women who are done doing it alone. Her Collective is for the women who are smart, capable, and driven, but they find themselves stuck on the sticky floors like self doubt, burnout, and waiting for permission that quite honestly never comes. Inside HER, you get more than motivation. You get real support, real strategies, and real momentum.

Erica: We work on things like clarifying what you want now and what's coming next, building confidence without burning yourself out, navigating hard conversations, career moves, and leadership moments with clarity, and surrounding yourself with women who actually get it. This isn't about hustling harder. It's about moving intentionally with the right tools and the right people in your corner. If you're ready to stop spinning, start choosing yourself, and build a career in life that actually feels aligned, I'd love to welcome you inside her collective. You can learn more and join us at www.joinhercollective.com.

Erica: Because honestly, girl, you were never meant to do this alone. The holidays are rapidly approaching. Heck, you might even say they are already here. They are all upon us. Now I wanna ask you a question.

Erica: Are you feeling the anxiety that comes with the holiday season yet? Now I don't know about you, but about this time of year, I start stressing about how little time I have left to get everything done that needs to be done. The gift shop for everyone. The gift wrapping. The teacher appreciation stuff.

Erica: The food. And did I say the gift shopping? I don't know if y'all can tell, but that is the part that stresses me out the most. I am feeling my blood pressure rise just talking about. And y'all, I love the holidays.

Erica: I love, love, love them. I love the beautiful decorations and Christmas lights. And ever since having kids, I especially love and appreciate the magic of the holidays. There is nothing like seeing the holidays through the eyes of a child. But I would be lying to you if I didn't tell you that this time of year also stresses me the hell out, which is why today we are going to talk about a topic that is super important, which is staying stress free during the holiday season.

Erica: I've got 10 tips that I live by during this season that I hope you will embrace with me so that your season can be filled with laughter and joy and not stress and sleepless nights. And I'm diving in, y'all.

Erica: There's no science around today's episode. There's no research research backed anything because you know what? From one woman to another, we all know how stressful this season can get. And while many of us may have partners at home, they are not always as helpful as we would like them to be. So I am all about my stress levels being up to me to manage, and these are my tips that help me balance my career, that full time job that never stops, and my family life.

Erica: Life. You ready? Let's go ahead and go. Tip one. Online shopping.

Erica: Online shopping for the win, y'all. It is a game changer, and I find as much as I can on especially if it's Amazon. And I have it just shipped right there, prime to the house. I don't mess around with the craziness of the malls these days. And even during any other month of the year, I really don't mess around with the malls, but definitely not.

Erica: So get all your stuff on Amazon. Get it with as soon as you can. Presents, wrapping paper, tape, paper plates, everything. Make it as easy and convenient as possible. Save yourself the Just start adding all of the presents, all of the things that you need to the cart, and start buying them now, which leads me to tip number two.

Erica: Start now. This is November when this episode drops. Y'all, I used to wait till December. I used to hold off on all of my holiday shopping until then. And I was always so freaking stressed out about finding the right gifts and, you know, I would buy the weirdest things.

Erica: One year, guys, I could not figure out what to buy Dan and I waited so damn long. I bought him a trash can. Now in my defense, it was a very nice trash can. It was stainless steel. It had a motion sensor on the top, and that was like when it was a big deal back then.

Erica: And it was, like, a real grade. And guess what? Like, ten years later, we still use that trash can. But they're probably given a trash can as a gift, probably. So start now, nix the stress.

Erica: That way, you nix the weird trash can moments. And, I mean, think about it. How nice would it be to have all of your holiday shopping done by December 1? Like, oh, that would be fantastic. No.

Erica: I'm not there yet, but I'm gonna get as much done ahead of time as I can. Tip three, prioritize self care. Girl, take all the time you saved by doing your shopping ahead of time and online by getting a facial, maybe a massage, doing whatever you do that tickles your fancy. As busy working women as moms, we prioritize the care of others over ourselves almost all of the time. So take a minute and prioritize your dang self.

Erica: Read a book, sleep in, work out, you know, you do you. Throw in and you know what? I want you to throw a nice cozy blanket or bathrobe into that Amazon card because that's also self care. Tip number four is to delegate. Y'all gotta know when to delegate and what to delegate.

Erica: I used to always think that I was the one that had to make all the dishes for the holiday dinner, set the perfect table with the china that I only use once a year, so you know I gotta, like, dust that off, blah blah blah. Now everybody pitches in. Someone brings a salad. Someone brings the stuffing. Someone brings the dessert.

Erica: It makes it so much easier. Now another really great way to delegate, hire a teenager in your neighborhood to wrap the holiday presents. Pay them by the present, pay them by the hour, pay them a fixed fee for all I care, whatever you gotta do. But seriously, unless that is something that you love, which my hats off to you, I only do get bags, then go for it, but not for me. I will be hiring a teenager to wrap all of my presents.

Erica: Tip number five is to plan and prioritize. And I know this may seem like a pain because it just does. It's another thing you gotta do. But if you plan and prioritize and schedule out what you need to do, it's going to make this hectic time so much easier. You will not be caught off guard by the last minute task that you forgot to do, and you can prioritize the important things with your family, like watching else on a Friday, because if that's not your favorite Christmas movie, I don't know what is.

Erica: Now I also plan out what it is going to take to get a meal done on Christmas day, Thanksgiving, whatever. If I have it written out ahead of time, it keeps my brain stress free because I'm not having to constantly think, like, how long does the turkey need to go in the oven? How long do I need to put the sweet potatoes in for? What if I have two dishes and I only have one oven? So I keep a timeline of what needs to go in and when and what time we're gonna eat.

Erica: It just keeps my mind clutter free. So make your schedule and then also prep everything you can ahead of time. Write out what you can do, whether that is chopping vegetables or setting the table and get it done. Tip number six, embrace the no. Listen.

Erica: I love a good holiday party too, but you don't have to say yes to everything. If going to the neighborhood shindig does not ring your jingle bells, then don't do it. Now I used to feel like I had to be everywhere and see everyone and that ain't it. So if it doesn't bring you joy and it doesn't let you up, it's a no. Tip number seven is mindful eating and exercise.

Erica: And so, you know, I hope you have embraced the power of the no by saying no to a few parties, but also be mindful that when you go to those parties, what you're eating and drinking, no one wants to start the year with 10 extra pounds to lose. But hear me out. I am not saying do not enjoy yourself. I'm not saying punish yourself by running an extra five miles because you went to the holiday party. No.

Erica: No. No. I am saying enjoy the shit out of those holiday treats, but just be mindful about it. Eat what you want, but then maybe the next day, like, have a salad and some grilled chicken. Find the balance.

Erica: Oh, and then also get your ass out and move. Even a walk. Do something because I know you can. Tip number eight is gratitude. Y'all had covered this last week, so head back to that episode on gratitude if you need some tips on how to be more grateful.

Erica: I'm not gonna dive in deep on that one. Just make sure you are taking the time to be present and to be grateful for all that you have. Tip number nine is take a digital detox. Now this is a new one for me this year, and I'm really kind of excited about this. And I want you to consider it to put away the devices, engage in family time, make stronger personal connections this year.

Erica: You know, this is a, a twofold win, Right? Number one, because you're taking more time to be present. That's always a win. And number two, you aren't trying to keep up with the Joneses. Does your friend have, like, I don't know, five holiday trees and you only have one and that makes you feel less than, well, guess what?

Erica: You don't know because you didn't see it on Facebook, so you don't care. You see how that works? And then finally, this is the tenth and final tip. Create meaningful traditions that you love and that bring you joy. These are the things that you are going to remember and you want to have and cherish those beautiful traditions for all of the rest of your years.

Erica: Now, I remember growing up, we always watched the Chevy Chase Christmas vacation, and I still watch that movie every single year. And when it comes on, it just brings me back every time it puts me in the holiday mood. So that's it. That wraps it up. My top 10 tips for a stress free holiday season.

Erica: I'm dropping this episode now so that you can plan ahead. And if y'all were paying attention, that is tip number five. So plan and prioritize. But I wanna hear from you because I know that this list, it is not an exhaustive list of how women can stay stress free during the holiday season. What do you do that keeps you cool, calm, and collected during the holiday season?

Erica: I am gonna need you to drop me a note because I am always looking for ways to minimize the stress, and you can do this anywhere. Send me a message on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, even TikTok. I'm on all of them, and I want to know. And while you're at it, if you have a minute, I would be so grateful if you would leave me a podcast review as it truly helps it land in the hands of the person that needs to hear it most. I'll talk to you next time.