If Part 1 was your pep talk to keep pushing through the busy season, consider this one permission to exhale.
Let’s be honest. This time of year can be brutal.
You’re juggling orders, markets, shipping cut-offs, and customers who suddenly remember they need 27 handmade gifts. Add to that the end-of-school chaos, family planning, and trying to magic up a Christmas meal that everyone likes, and it’s no wonder you’re running on caffeine and adrenaline.
Yet, you’re still here. Creating, showing up, doing the thing. Which is precisely why you need to protect your energy as fiercely as you protect your stock at a market stall.
Self-care isn’t always about bubble baths or booking a retreat (though if you can manage either, go you). It’s about the small, unglamorous things that help you stay steady while everything around you speeds up. Here are a few ways to look after yourself through the mayhem.
Schedule tiny pauses
You don’t need an hour-long yoga class to reset your brain. Five minutes counts. Step outside, stretch your neck, or drink your tea while it’s still warm. A short walk or a few deep breaths can do wonders for clarity and calm and they take less time than scrolling through Instagram “for inspiration.”
Protect your quiet
December doesn’t come with much silence, especially if you’ve got kids, hosting market stalls or managing a busy household. But you can still claim moments of peace. Pop in headphones while you pack, light a candle, or let everyone know that for the first ten minutes of your morning coffee, you are unavailable. Boundaries can be small and still effective.
Plan easy wins
You’ve only got so much brainpower! Save it for creativity, not logistics. Batch your packing, prep simple meals, automate your order confirmations, or reuse last year’s product captions. Anything that prevents decision fatigue is a gift to your future self (who will probably be running on leftovers and determination).
Ask for backup
If someone offers help, take it. Seriously. Whether it’s your partner doing the post-office run or your kids sticking labels, you don’t need to carry it all alone. Delegating is a sign that you value your time and sanity.
Lower the bar (strategically)
Your Christmas wrapping doesn’t need a theme, your social posts don’t need a completely perfect caption, and no one will notice if you reuse a product photo. Prioritise what really matters and the rest can wait until the new year (if at all).
Celebrate the small stuff
Every time you ship an order, tick off a to-do list, or make it through a market day without losing it, pause to acknowledge it. Gratitude is grounding. It reminds you why you do this work and how much you’ve achieved, even in the madness.
Don’t forget to give yourself a little grace. Eat something green (vegetable green not gummy green), sleep when you can, and remember that the world won’t fall apart if you take a break.
You’ve worked SO hard all year to build something meaningful, and you deserve to reach the finish line with your joy (and sanity) intact.
Hang in there Goodies, it’ll be over before you know it.
