Preparing Your Brain For a Busy Christmas!

Christmas has always been described as joyful, meaningful, and special. And it truly can be. Yet for many of us, it is also mentally demanding in ways we don’t always name.

As the season builds, life fills quickly. Plans multiply. Conversations overlap. Decisions stack up. Emotional input increases. Even when everything looks good on the outside, the inside can feel noisier, slower, and harder to organise.

When that happens, it’s easy to assume something is wrong with us. In reality, what’s happening is far more ordinary and far more human: our brains are responding to a fuller cognitive load.

A busy Christmas doesn’t require a stronger brain; it requires a supported one.

When routines change, executive function works harder. Planning, organising, remembering, switching between tasks, and regulating emotions all increase at once. For adults carrying work, family, responsibility, and expectation, this extra demand can quietly drain clarity and patience, even in moments meant to feel celebratory.

What I’ve learned, both personally and professionally, is this: the brain is not fragile. It is adaptive, capable, and deeply responsive to how it is treated. The difference between coping and enjoying this season often comes down to whether we choose to lead our brain, or expect it to carry everything alone.

So this Christmas, I make my choices visible.

I reduce unnecessary mental load by deciding things earlier than I normally would. Meal plans, and logistics are settled ahead of time, not because I need control, but because fewer daily decisions leave more mental space for presence and enjoyment.

#IChooseToReduceDecisionLoad

I take pressure off my memory by writing things down instead of holding everything in my head. Lists, reminders, and notes are not signs of weakness; they are practical executive function strategies that free the brain to engage more calmly.

#IChooseToExternaliseWhatMatters

And I choose my pace carefully. In a season that moves quickly, I build in intentional pauses. Sometimes it’s a few quiet breaths before entering a busy room. Sometimes it’s stepping outside briefly to let my nervous system settle. These moments are small, but they prevent overload before it takes hold.

#IChooseToPauseOnPurpose

These choices don’t remove responsibility; they strengthen my capacity to carry it well.

Christmas does not ask us to perform. It invites us to be present.

This is where I return to the true reason for the season: the birth of Jesus Christ. His arrival was quiet, humble, and unhurried. A reminder that significance does not require striving, and that peace often begins with presence.

When the brain is calmer, it becomes easier to notice what truly matters: the people in front of us, the moments we would otherwise rush past, and the grace woven through this season.

This Christmas,

#IChoose Preparation over Pressure;

#IChoose to Prepare my Brain, Create Space for Peace, and Allow the Rest to Follow. #IAmGratefulForChristMas

#IChoose to Enjoy Every Moment!

#IChoose to Master my Executive Functions

Love Your Brain,

Annabel 💛🧠