Hey friend! Lori & Ana here ❤️

The weather is changing all around us. The air feels crisp and the trees are painting the world in color. It’s a beautiful reminder that the holiday season is just around the corner. Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away!

As we start making our holiday to-do lists — the gifts to buy, meals to plan, and gatherings to attend — let’s also remember to include ourselves. It’s so easy for us to get swept up in the busyness and forget our own needs. Our well-being matters just as much as everything else we’re preparing for. When we slow down, breathe, and care for our bodies, minds, and hearts, we’re able to show up more fully for the people and moments we value most.

In the end, true peace doesn’t come from a perfectly planned holiday. It comes from resting in God’s presence. And when we make space for Him in our full, busy days, He meets us there—bringing peace to our stress and joy to even our ordinary moments.

This season doesn’t have to be about doing more—it can be about being more present. When we take time to care for ourselves in simple, intentional ways, we create space together to notice God’s goodness in the middle of it all.

So before the holiday rush sweeps in, let’s take a moment to pause together and reflect on what our souls truly need. Here are 5 simple ways we can nurture our well-being this holiday season to get us started.

5 Tips For Well-Being This Holiday Season

🎁 Imagine your holiday season. What does it feel like? What will you do more or less of? Intentionally build margin into your day, learn how to below. Use these moments to pause, breathe, and reset your heart and mind toward what’s most important. Take a 5-minute prayer break whenever stress spikes.

Start setting boundaries

🎁 Take Every Thought Captive. We can focus our minds on what’s real and present—not the what-ifs. This simple shift opens space for peace, reminding us that God meets us in truth, not in worry. When we notice a fearful thought, counter it with truth. Replace the anxious statement with a Scripture or affirmation grounded in God’s Word. Example: Thought: “I’ll disappoint them.” Truth: “I am God’s child. His love for me isn’t earned by my performance.” (Psalm 139:14; Romans 8:38–39)

🎁 Turn Comparison into Compassion. When we start comparing ourselves, we can pause and ask, “How can I use what God’s given me to bless someone today?”

→If you’re creative, make something for a friend.

→If you’re a good listener, check in on someone who’s struggling.

→If you’re organized, help a family member prepare for a gathering.

Serving shifts our focus from what we lack to how we can love.

🎁 Find Hope in the Lonely Moments. We know the holidays can feel especially heavy when you’re feeling alone. When loneliness creeps in, text a friend, call a family member, or even strike up a conversation at church or the store.

🎁 Extend grace when you're not feeling holly jolly. We don’t have to force joy or hide our pain. God isn’t asking for our perfection. We can bring Him our tears, our ache, and our questions. Sometimes the most beautiful worship sounds like this simple prayer: “Lord, we miss them. We feel alone. But we know You are here.”

5-Week Holiday Devotional Series

As we move through the season, remember: taking care of ourselves isn’t selfish — it’s necessary. When we pause, breathe, and lean into God’s presence, we create space to experience the holidays with more peace, joy, and intention.

We’d love for you to join our 5-Week Holiday Devotional Series. We’ll walk through some of the most common struggles this season brings and discover God’s guidance and encouragement together: