How Holidays House Our Biggest Mental Loads
And how Strongsuit is here to help.
We often talk about the mental load at Strongsuit. It is why we exist and why we work so hard for our members. The mental load is something incredibly difficult to manage in our modern society when working parents just want to provide and also be present for those special moments. This is especially felt around the holidays. No matter what you celebrate there are so many expectations around this special time of year.
It is easy to get swept up into the rose-colored filters and snapshots of social media of the perfect holiday events, activities, presents, and recipes. All of which takes time, planning, and brain-power that you might not have. What can be the most frustrating is that the ven diagram doesn't meet in the middle, we end up sacrificing either being fully present, not hitting the right activity or tradition, or our mental capacity at the price of over-extending.
I know that I have personally had so much frustration with trying to keep up with everything and when I inevitably miss something it feels like the end of the world. As parents, we put an enormous amount of pressure on ourselves to do everything right and this is where I know Strongsuit makes such a huge difference. Throughout the year we take so much off our members’ plates but it seems during the holidays the plates just get more and more full without the plates getting any bigger to house the load.
Here are the things that we do to lift the weight of that load:
Timely reminders—Get ahead of the game and get reminders for invitations, flower delivery, and grocery orders, especially those that sell out fast. As it gets closer, think ahead for purchases like decor.
Early Research—Things like catering and the big ticket items are always the big mental load weights. By putting the research onto your Member Success Specialist you can get in the know faster and be prepared for those big items like a Honeybaked Ham or a coveted turkey from a popular vendor.
Scheduling/Planning - One of our members hosts a Friendsgiving every year with a huge potluck signup for everyone. Think of how much this offloads by having Strongsuit help to manage, remember, and do the ordering.
Little Details - Most of our members have kids and when it comes to holidays, finding ways to entertain and engage in those family memories can feel like a lot. But at Strongsuit we immediately give great ideas that take the pressure off and help our members feel prepared.
If you haven’t started to prepare for Thanksgiving yet it is not too late. Get ahead of the game by delegating specific tasks or just ask for some general ideas to get the ball rolling. Holidays don’t have to be stressful when you have Strongsuit.