December 8, 2025 • 10 mins
December has a way of making ambitious, high-achieving women feel like they’re suddenly falling apart. Routines slip. Workouts drop. Boundaries evaporate. You start thinking you’re behind…or worse, that you’re failing.
But you’re not.
You’re human — and December is loud.
In today’s episode, Anne pulls back the curtain on what’s actually happening in your brain and body this month, why your habits feel harder, and how to stop abandoning yourself every time life gets chaotic.
Inside, you’ll learn:
• Why no woman is doing it all (even if it looks like she is)
• The predictable patterns that pull you off track every December
• How to choose your “December minimums” so you stay grounded, not overwhelmed
• A simple 3-step formula to stay consistent without perfection
• Why overeating and skipping workouts are regulation issues, not discipline issues
• How to honour your capacity while still showing up for the woman you’re becoming
This episode is your permission slip to stop trying to be superhuman and start leading yourself like a woman who knows her worth, her limits, and her priorities.
If December always derails you…this is the episode that will change your January.
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• [https://musclesandmindset.ca/]
Ready to build strength, feel confident AF, and lose fat without obsessing or stressing over it? [Apply to Join the Muscles & Mindset program here].
Connect With Me:
• Instagram: [@annejonesfit]
• Website: [https://www.annejonescoaching.ca/]
• YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/@annejones]
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome back to the Muscles andMindset Revolution.
Today we're talking about themonth that knocks even the most
disciplined, hardworking,organized women, straight off
their routine.
December, and I want to start bytelling you something that you
need to hear if you've beenwalking around thinking that
everyone else is out herecrushing all of their workouts,
baking cookies, hosting parties,and then magically staying
(00:23):
consistent.
I want to lovingly rip that outof your hands and tell you that
many women are doing many ofthose things.
No one is doing it all on theirown.
Not you, not me, not the momswho bring homemade gingerbread
to the holiday school concert,not the fitness girlies on
Instagram with matching pajamasand a 41-step morning routine.
(00:44):
They're not doing everything.
They're not.
They're not.
December is a consistencyobstacle course.
This month is accidentallyengineered to knock you off your
centre, and the solution is notperfection.
It is self attunement.
it is knowing how to stayconnected to yourself when life
gets loud and messy.
Welcome to the Muscles andMindset Revolution Podcast.
The podcast for ambitious womenwho are done spiraling, done,
(01:07):
starting over, and doneabandoning themselves.
Every time life gets chaotic.
Women who want to feel steady,strong, and in control, again
while building real confidenceand real strength without
calorie counting or BS quickfixes.
I'm your host, Anne Jones,certified life coach, personal
trainer, and mindset expert.
After more than 15 years in thefitness industry, I've learned
(01:28):
that lasting change is not justabout what you do.
It's about who you are being.
It's about self-trust, nervoussystem, steadiness, and the way
you lead yourself when life getsmessy.
If you are ready to stayconsistent, feel grounded, and
become the woman who shows upfor herself in every season,
you're in the right place.
Let's dive in.
Last week on our Muscles andmindset community call, I asked
(01:49):
all of my clients and teammembers,'cause it was a full
team call.
The whole team was therecoaching.
I asked everyone to share twothings.
It's very, common for me to askeveryone to share a win on a
call.
But I felt that they needed toshare a win and a ball that they
dropped and the answers werereal.
I only worked out once.
I forgot to eat until 3:00 PM Iyelled at my kid.
I skipped the gym completely.
I still haven't touched orstarted the advent calendar for
(02:11):
my kids.
I'm behind on laundry again, andfor me it was, I didn't record
my podcast last week.
There were too many things to doand something had to give.
Not'cause I'm undisciplined, butbecause I'm human and so are
you.
And I wanted my clients to knowand see this because we can
really fall into comparison.
Even like within my community,which is extremely supportive.
(02:31):
My clients say they've neverbeen in a more supportive.
Positive female community.
And we still compare, right?
'cause we see whether it's in acommunity at school, in our
friend group, or on socialmedia, we see the different
things that women are doing orsharing that they're doing.
And we put it all togetherassuming they're all doing all
of it.
(02:51):
And we suck because we can't doeverything.
Here's the truth.
Your brain just doesn't want tohear.
You're not actually behind.
You are just expecting yourselfto be super human while living a
very human life.
You already know December'sgreatest hits travel in-laws,
kids off routineoverstimulation, end of your
deadlines, emotional land minds,and old coping habits creeping
(03:15):
back like toxic exes who justwant to talk.
And because you are a woman whocarries a lot, you tend to
disappear into the seasoninstead of staying with yourself
through Your coping habits arepredictable.
You've been into Decemberbefore.
This is what my clients tell me.
They know what their coping,patterns are.
People pleasing, skipping meals.
(03:36):
Numbing with food, numbing, withscrolling, avoidance, dropping
their workouts, just tellingthemselves they'll give
themselves a break and startfresh in January.
Self abandoning because youthink it's easier than
disappointing anyone else.
It's more comfortable thandisappointing anyone else.
But here's the thing, Januaryyou is.
Still December you, unless youprotect the woman you've been
(04:00):
building all year, you don'tneed a new identity in January.
You don't need to be a newperson.
You need to stay connected tothe one you already have.
This month is not about tryingto be extreme cold plunge girl,
unless that's what you desire.
But for me, this is about twosimple questions.
What must stay?
And what can be light touch.
So for me personally, sleepstays, I don't even have to
(04:22):
think about Movement stays forthe most part.
I'm at a place in my life wherelike that's not gonna be the
thing to go.
My husband worked at two 30 thismorning.
My daughter was up sick allnight this past last night, and
I just did not sleep I have alot going on today.
I'm spending two hours recordingpodcasts.
I have someone coming over tolook at doing some renovation
stuff.
I have a sick kid at home.
(04:43):
I've got stuff going on and myworkout wasn't going to be the
thing to go, and it's okay if itis for you, but that's something
that I'm protecting.
It's gonna stay.
Also, we were talking about thison our group call.
This is also something that Itake for granted.
I've done it for so long, justlike sleep and just like
movement.
Like my skincare is gonna stay.
I'm not gonna skip washing myface and I do not have a Gen Z
(05:03):
like 80 step routine, I promiseyou.
But like I am gonna do theskincare routine.
The elf on the shelf is not,that's an example of a thing I
am, I'm not doing because.
That's, that's another thing onmy list that's not gonna feel
good to me.
That's actually gonna make mecrazy.
I did the advent calendar.
I did it on time.
I don't expect myself to do theadvent calendar and bake cookies
(05:25):
every single day and move elf onthe shelf every single night.
And again, since our coacheswere on this call, they shared
with me Coach Taylor alsoprotects her bedtime routine.
That's key for her and coach.
Natalie protects her movement aswell because she says it
stabilizes her A DHD brain.
I know it's her stressmanagement.
So for you, maybe it's.
Protein forward meals.
Maybe it's snuggling with yourlittle one.
(05:46):
Maybe it's three workouts aweek.
Maybe it's one groundingpractice.
Maybe it's a morning walk.
Pick your minimums and protectthem like hell.
These are the habits that holdyou together when everything
else feels chaotic.
You do not have to doeverything.
You don't have to haveeverything on the list, but you
must pick some small number ofthings.
That you can show up foryourself for that will make you
(06:08):
feel like you are not abandoningyourself.
So here's your three stepDecember formula for me.
Number one, drop the all ornothing voice.
December really triggers thescrew it energy probably more
than any other month.
Reject that lie.
When your plan flexes, that'sthe plan.
You're flexible.
That's a skill.
Number two, protect yourminimums.
(06:29):
Like I said, your Decemberminimums might be two strength
workouts.
They might be a seven minutewalk.
They might be a holidaytradition, breakfast every day,
hydration goal, step goal, teaat night instead of a second
dessert or a glass of wine.
One self-care ritual that keepsyou regulated.
A minimum is not lowering yourstandards, it's honoring your
(06:50):
capacity.
Number three, stay connected toyour body.
Coach Natalie said this reallybeautifully.
You don't overeat because you'reweak.
You overeat because you'reundernourished.
Overstressed, or dysregulated.
Eat.
Eat earlier than you think.
Eat regularly.
Eat protein and fiber.
Eat because you respectyourself, and you have a lot to
(07:11):
carry this month, not becauseyou're afraid of losing control.
Coach Taylor also dropped a micdrop moment.
Your workout doesn't have to beperfect to count.
10 minutes counts.
One round instead of threecounts, half the workout counts.
You'll feel better doing thosethings than doing nothing.
Choosing movement instead ofnothing counts, and it can be
(07:31):
just right now, it can be justthis season.
If you're only doing 10 minuteworkouts for the entire year,
yeah, you might not get theresult that you.
But if you've been doing 45minute workouts all year, and
now December is, you know, youcan only do one a week or you
can only do a 15, it counts.
It counts.
And please stop skippingworkouts just because you have
guests.
I know this one can be awkward,protect as much as you can.
(07:53):
And remember, you are setting anexample.
So when we choose rest or whenwe choose self-care, when we
choose to work out, whateverthat is for you, showing up for
yourself, you get to choose.
You are leading for all womenwho need rest, who need to show
up for themselves, who need totake care of themselves and
girls like, I know this soundsdramatic, but do it and
(08:14):
normalize it in your circle inyour family.
So if nobody is awake at 7:00 AMdo your workout at seven.
Tell people I'm gonna be in thisspace, I'll be quiet.
This is the month of momentum,not maximal intensity.
I mean it is intense, butusually not in a fitness
capacity.
One of my favorite Decemberboundaries is yes after, yes.
We can do that after ourworkout.
(08:36):
Yes.
A let's do that after we go toyoga.
Yes.
After, yes.
To decorating the tree after Imove my body.
Because you matter too.
It's again, modeling, upholdinga boundary, showing up for Okay.
Let's talk about overeating,which, comes up a lot.
Holidays obviously, probablymore than any other time of
year.
Overeating is not a characterflaw.
(08:56):
It is a regulation issue.
Overeating happens becauseyou're skipping meals, your
blood sugar is crashing, you'reemotional, you're undernourished
all day, and then faceplant adinner.
You are restricting andrebounding.
You're trying to treat cookieslike a threat instead of a
treat.
And the fix is like not sexy.
It is simple, balanced.
Satisfying meals, protein andproduce.
(09:18):
Eating earlier before you'redying, grounding breaths.
Choosing with intention,bringing a dish to the thing
that supports you.
This doesn't mean that you haveto bring your Container of
steamed broccoli and only that.
It means like if you suspectthere's not gonna be a vegetable
there, bring the vegetable,bring the protein, bring the
thing, still enjoy whatever youwould like.
Let the cookies be joy and notchaos.
(09:40):
You are not here to punishyourself for being human.
You are here to protect thehabits you've built to stay
attuned to your body.
To move with intention, to eat,with awareness, to set
boundaries that honor you and tochoose the version of yourself
you want to meet In January,this is the month where you
learn to lead yourself even whenthe world is loud.
If this episode hit you in thechest, if you found yourself
(10:02):
nodding because December alwayspulls you away from yourself,
please do me a favour.
Share this episode with a womanyou love who's trying to keep it
together this month or leave aquick review.
It really helps the show and ittakes less than a minute, and it
helps more women find this showand get the support that they
deserve.
If you would like personalizedhelp building your December or
January plan for your schedule,your nervous system and your
(10:23):
real life, you can grab a freealignment audit.
The link is in my show notes.
I'll see you next week.
You've got this.
Welcome back to the Muscles andMindset Revolution.
Today we're talking about themonth that knocks even the most
disciplined, hardworking,organized women, straight off
their routine.
December, and I want to start bytelling you something that you
need to hear if you've beenwalking around thinking that
everyone else is out herecrushing all of their workouts,
baking cookies, hosting parties,and then magically staying
(00:23):
consistent.
I want to lovingly rip that outof your hands and tell you that
many women are doing many ofthose things.
No one is doing it all on theirown.
Not you, not me, not the momswho bring homemade gingerbread
to the holiday school concert,not the fitness girlies on
Instagram with matching pajamasand a 41-step morning routine.
(00:44):
They're not doing everything.
They're not.
They're not.
December is a consistencyobstacle course.
This month is accidentallyengineered to knock you off your
centre, and the solution is notperfection.
It is self attunement.
it is knowing how to stayconnected to yourself when life
gets loud and messy.
Welcome to the Muscles andMindset Revolution Podcast.
The podcast for ambitious womenwho are done spiraling, done,
(01:07):
starting over, and doneabandoning themselves.
Every time life gets chaotic.
Women who want to feel steady,strong, and in control, again
while building real confidenceand real strength without
calorie counting or BS quickfixes.
I'm your host, Anne Jones,certified life coach, personal
trainer, and mindset expert.
After more than 15 years in thefitness industry, I've learned
(01:28):
that lasting change is not justabout what you do.
It's about who you are being.
It's about self-trust, nervoussystem, steadiness, and the way
you lead yourself when life getsmessy.
If you are ready to stayconsistent, feel grounded, and
become the woman who shows upfor herself in every season,
you're in the right place.
Let's dive in.
Last week on our Muscles andmindset community call, I asked
(01:49):
all of my clients and teammembers,'cause it was a full
team call.
The whole team was therecoaching.
I asked everyone to share twothings.
It's very, common for me to askeveryone to share a win on a
call.
But I felt that they needed toshare a win and a ball that they
dropped and the answers werereal.
I only worked out once.
I forgot to eat until 3:00 PM Iyelled at my kid.
I skipped the gym completely.
I still haven't touched orstarted the advent calendar for
(02:11):
my kids.
I'm behind on laundry again, andfor me it was, I didn't record
my podcast last week.
There were too many things to doand something had to give.
Not'cause I'm undisciplined, butbecause I'm human and so are
you.
And I wanted my clients to knowand see this because we can
really fall into comparison.
Even like within my community,which is extremely supportive.
(02:31):
My clients say they've neverbeen in a more supportive.
Positive female community.
And we still compare, right?
'cause we see whether it's in acommunity at school, in our
friend group, or on socialmedia, we see the different
things that women are doing orsharing that they're doing.
And we put it all togetherassuming they're all doing all
of it.
(02:51):
And we suck because we can't doeverything.
Here's the truth.
Your brain just doesn't want tohear.
You're not actually behind.
You are just expecting yourselfto be super human while living a
very human life.
You already know December'sgreatest hits travel in-laws,
kids off routineoverstimulation, end of your
deadlines, emotional land minds,and old coping habits creeping
(03:15):
back like toxic exes who justwant to talk.
And because you are a woman whocarries a lot, you tend to
disappear into the seasoninstead of staying with yourself
through Your coping habits arepredictable.
You've been into Decemberbefore.
This is what my clients tell me.
They know what their coping,patterns are.
People pleasing, skipping meals.
(03:36):
Numbing with food, numbing, withscrolling, avoidance, dropping
their workouts, just tellingthemselves they'll give
themselves a break and startfresh in January.
Self abandoning because youthink it's easier than
disappointing anyone else.
It's more comfortable thandisappointing anyone else.
But here's the thing, Januaryyou is.
Still December you, unless youprotect the woman you've been
(04:00):
building all year, you don'tneed a new identity in January.
You don't need to be a newperson.
You need to stay connected tothe one you already have.
This month is not about tryingto be extreme cold plunge girl,
unless that's what you desire.
But for me, this is about twosimple questions.
What must stay?
And what can be light touch.
So for me personally, sleepstays, I don't even have to
(04:22):
think about Movement stays forthe most part.
I'm at a place in my life wherelike that's not gonna be the
thing to go.
My husband worked at two 30 thismorning.
My daughter was up sick allnight this past last night, and
I just did not sleep I have alot going on today.
I'm spending two hours recordingpodcasts.
I have someone coming over tolook at doing some renovation
stuff.
I have a sick kid at home.
(04:43):
I've got stuff going on and myworkout wasn't going to be the
thing to go, and it's okay if itis for you, but that's something
that I'm protecting.
It's gonna stay.
Also, we were talking about thison our group call.
This is also something that Itake for granted.
I've done it for so long, justlike sleep and just like
movement.
Like my skincare is gonna stay.
I'm not gonna skip washing myface and I do not have a Gen Z
(05:03):
like 80 step routine, I promiseyou.
But like I am gonna do theskincare routine.
The elf on the shelf is not,that's an example of a thing I
am, I'm not doing because.
That's, that's another thing onmy list that's not gonna feel
good to me.
That's actually gonna make mecrazy.
I did the advent calendar.
I did it on time.
I don't expect myself to do theadvent calendar and bake cookies
(05:25):
every single day and move elf onthe shelf every single night.
And again, since our coacheswere on this call, they shared
with me Coach Taylor alsoprotects her bedtime routine.
That's key for her and coach.
Natalie protects her movement aswell because she says it
stabilizes her A DHD brain.
I know it's her stressmanagement.
So for you, maybe it's.
Protein forward meals.
Maybe it's snuggling with yourlittle one.
(05:46):
Maybe it's three workouts aweek.
Maybe it's one groundingpractice.
Maybe it's a morning walk.
Pick your minimums and protectthem like hell.
These are the habits that holdyou together when everything
else feels chaotic.
You do not have to doeverything.
You don't have to haveeverything on the list, but you
must pick some small number ofthings.
That you can show up foryourself for that will make you
(06:08):
feel like you are not abandoningyourself.
So here's your three stepDecember formula for me.
Number one, drop the all ornothing voice.
December really triggers thescrew it energy probably more
than any other month.
Reject that lie.
When your plan flexes, that'sthe plan.
You're flexible.
That's a skill.
Number two, protect yourminimums.
(06:29):
Like I said, your Decemberminimums might be two strength
workouts.
They might be a seven minutewalk.
They might be a holidaytradition, breakfast every day,
hydration goal, step goal, teaat night instead of a second
dessert or a glass of wine.
One self-care ritual that keepsyou regulated.
A minimum is not lowering yourstandards, it's honoring your
(06:50):
capacity.
Number three, stay connected toyour body.
Coach Natalie said this reallybeautifully.
You don't overeat because you'reweak.
You overeat because you'reundernourished.
Overstressed, or dysregulated.
Eat.
Eat earlier than you think.
Eat regularly.
Eat protein and fiber.
Eat because you respectyourself, and you have a lot to
(07:11):
carry this month, not becauseyou're afraid of losing control.
Coach Taylor also dropped a micdrop moment.
Your workout doesn't have to beperfect to count.
10 minutes counts.
One round instead of threecounts, half the workout counts.
You'll feel better doing thosethings than doing nothing.
Choosing movement instead ofnothing counts, and it can be
(07:31):
just right now, it can be justthis season.
If you're only doing 10 minuteworkouts for the entire year,
yeah, you might not get theresult that you.
But if you've been doing 45minute workouts all year, and
now December is, you know, youcan only do one a week or you
can only do a 15, it counts.
It counts.
And please stop skippingworkouts just because you have
guests.
I know this one can be awkward,protect as much as you can.
(07:53):
And remember, you are setting anexample.
So when we choose rest or whenwe choose self-care, when we
choose to work out, whateverthat is for you, showing up for
yourself, you get to choose.
You are leading for all womenwho need rest, who need to show
up for themselves, who need totake care of themselves and
girls like, I know this soundsdramatic, but do it and
(08:14):
normalize it in your circle inyour family.
So if nobody is awake at 7:00 AMdo your workout at seven.
Tell people I'm gonna be in thisspace, I'll be quiet.
This is the month of momentum,not maximal intensity.
I mean it is intense, butusually not in a fitness
capacity.
One of my favorite Decemberboundaries is yes after, yes.
We can do that after ourworkout.
(08:36):
Yes.
A let's do that after we go toyoga.
Yes.
After, yes.
To decorating the tree after Imove my body.
Because you matter too.
It's again, modeling, upholdinga boundary, showing up for Okay.
Let's talk about overeating,which, comes up a lot.
Holidays obviously, probablymore than any other time of
year.
Overeating is not a characterflaw.
(08:56):
It is a regulation issue.
Overeating happens becauseyou're skipping meals, your
blood sugar is crashing, you'reemotional, you're undernourished
all day, and then faceplant adinner.
You are restricting andrebounding.
You're trying to treat cookieslike a threat instead of a
treat.
And the fix is like not sexy.
It is simple, balanced.
Satisfying meals, protein andproduce.
(09:18):
Eating earlier before you'redying, grounding breaths.
Choosing with intention,bringing a dish to the thing
that supports you.
This doesn't mean that you haveto bring your Container of
steamed broccoli and only that.
It means like if you suspectthere's not gonna be a vegetable
there, bring the vegetable,bring the protein, bring the
thing, still enjoy whatever youwould like.
Let the cookies be joy and notchaos.
(09:40):
You are not here to punishyourself for being human.
You are here to protect thehabits you've built to stay
attuned to your body.
To move with intention, to eat,with awareness, to set
boundaries that honor you and tochoose the version of yourself
you want to meet In January,this is the month where you
learn to lead yourself even whenthe world is loud.
If this episode hit you in thechest, if you found yourself
(10:02):
nodding because December alwayspulls you away from yourself,
please do me a favour.
Share this episode with a womanyou love who's trying to keep it
together this month or leave aquick review.
It really helps the show and ittakes less than a minute, and it
helps more women find this showand get the support that they
deserve.
If you would like personalizedhelp building your December or
January plan for your schedule,your nervous system and your
(10:23):
real life, you can grab a freealignment audit.
The link is in my show notes.
I'll see you next week.
You've got this.
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