December 4, 2024 • 10 mins
The holidays can feel like one endless to-do list, especially for ambitious, working women who are juggling careers, families, and the pressure to make everything magical. But what if you could step off the hamster wheel and actually enjoy the season?
In this episode of the Glass Ceiling and Sticky Floor Podcast, I’m talking about Presence Over Presents—what it means to focus on connection, joy, and sanity during the holidays instead of getting buried under the chaos.
Here’s what you’ll learn in today’s episode:
- The #1 reason women feel overwhelmed during the holidays (and how to shift your mindset).
- 5 practical strategies to simplify the season, ditch the stress, and focus on what matters most.
- How to prioritize presence over perfection—even when the mental workload feels heavy.
- A powerful reminder to take back your time and energy so you can actually enjoy the holidays.
If you’re ready to escape the chaos, embrace calm, and make this season truly magical—this episode is for you.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Let me paint a picture for you.
(00:02):
It's December, you've got a teammeeting at nine, a client
deadline by three.
And in between you're orderingthe teacher gifts.
You're scheduling your familyphotos and you're Googling all
of the different recipes thatyou need to have for the holiday
potluck.
Does that sound familiar?
Well, welcome to the mentalworkload of the holiday season,
especially for women like us,women who are ambitious, who are
(00:24):
holding it down at work and whoare making the season magical
for everybody else.
It's like we are running thismarathon while decorating the
track and the Christmas lightsy'all but here's the thing.
In the rush to get the perfectpresence.
I throw the best parties andsend out the most beautiful
cards.
We actually lose sight of whatreally matters.
(00:46):
And that's being truly present.
And let's be honest when youlook back on the holidays and do
you remember what you boughtyour kid's teacher in 2018?
Or do you remember the time youspent laughing over hot
chocolate with your family andjust how much love there was now
today we are going to unpack howyou can ditch the chaos.
And embrace presence overpresents this holiday season.
(01:11):
welcome to the glass ceiling andsticky floor podcast.
The show that's here to empoweryou to break free from limiting
beliefs, ditch toxic behaviors,and unlock the infinite
possibilities waiting for you.
This is your time to live yourbest life unapologetically.
I'm Erica Rooney, your host andbiggest cheerleader on a mission
to get more women into positionsof power and keep them there
(01:34):
where they belong.
Now, if you're ready to shatterceilings, crush self-doubt and
build a career in lifeoverflowing with growth and
abundance.
You're in the right place.
Here's the deal.
We talk about the hard stuff,the real stuff.
Imposter syndrome,perfectionism, fear, burnout,
you name it.
It's raw.
It's honest.
And it's exactly what you needto level up.
(01:55):
So grab a seat popping into yourbud and let's dive in.
Hey, everyone.
Welcome back to the glassceiling and sticky floor
podcast.
I'm Erica Rooney.
And today we are diving headfirst into the holiday madness,
the gifts, the parties, thecards, and why.
So many of us are feelingfrazzled.
(02:16):
Instead of festive.
And I want to call it what itis, right.
As women, we carry the mentalload of the holidays, just like
we do everything else.
We are the ones who remember thesecret Santa gift for work.
We move that damn elf everynight.
Right?
And the fact that Great AuntMartha prefers gluten-free
cookies over regular cookies.
(02:36):
Okay.
On top of that, we're managingour careers.
We're trying to hit our goalsand we're trying to show up as
the bad ass professional that weare, and it is fricking
exhausting.
Now here's a quick story foryou.
But a few years ago.
I wanted to go all out for theholidays.
I wanted to make it so magicalfor my children.
(02:58):
And I wanted to do this because,well, if I'm honest with you, I
wanted to do this because Ithought I had to do it.
Right.
I felt like I should do it all.
First of all, y'all know that isthe trigger word that I should.
Create these memories for mykids that I should have the
matching jammies.
I should have the perfectly reppresence in the cookies baked.
And this damn holiday cards.
(03:19):
Right.
And y'all know if you listen tothis podcast, I don't do that
anymore.
I don't do the holiday cards.
I've given them up.
But.
We're going back in time.
For this episode and this story.
So stick with me.
Okay.
Here's the deal.
I did six kinds of cookies.
I bought presents for eightgrandparents.
(03:39):
Yes.
I have eight grandparents for mychildren.
I have very complex family treeand the.
Multitude of cousins that comealong with that.
And it was exhausting.
I was literally sitting there onthe brink of burnout.
I wasn't enjoying anything.
It was backbreaking and mentallytaxing.
Very very stressful.
And I just wasn't enjoying it.
(04:01):
I wasn't enjoying the holidayseason.
It was just too much.
And by December 26.
Yeah, the day after Christmas, Iwas so wiped out.
I just wanted all of the holidayshit out of the house.
It was annoying me to look atit.
I wanted it clean, organized,and back to normal.
And y'all, that's not what theholidays are for.
You shouldn't feel that wayafter a joyful, special, fun
(04:24):
holiday with your family.
And that year, it really justtaught me this huge lesson.
And that lesson is that if I'mnot present in the moment, None
of the effort really matters.
Because no one remembersperfect.
They remember that connection.
And I can tell you now my kidsdon't remember anything.
(04:46):
About the Christmas cards or thecookies.
Or how crazy.
got that day.
They just remember the magic.
Right.
And it wasn't perfect magic andit doesn't have to be perfect
magic.
But let's get into it.
So how can people like usambitious, driven women step off
the hamster wheel and actuallyenjoy the holidays without
(05:10):
sacrificing our sanity or senseof self.
And I've got five strategies foreach day, five actionable
strategies.
And I'm going to go ahead anddive in because these are ones
that I use periodically all thetime.
And I just want you to havethese tools in your toolbox.
So pick what works for you,leave the rest, but the first
one is embracing.
(05:30):
Good enough.
Not every detail.
For this holiday has to bePinterest worthy.
Let the cards be simple or belike me and just don't do cards.
By the cookies from Publixinstead of baking them, y'all,
they've got an award winningbakery.
And if you don't live in theland of the south, where Publix
is, I've heard, Wegmans is justas great.
Okay.
(05:51):
How about this?
Let somebody else host you don'thave to have the family meal
every year.
Perfection is overrated.
And you, my friend havepermission to let things slide.
You really do.
Now the second strategy issaying no, without guilt.
Now this season, I really wantyou to start practicing saying
(06:14):
no to things that do not alignwith your priorities.
No to the extra bake sale.
No, to that second fundraiser,no.
To the party that is of yourneighbor, that you don't even
really like.
Saying no doesn't make youselfish.
It makes you smart.
So the pro tip here on this oneis if you do feel guilty,
(06:36):
remember this, that every yesyou give away is a no to
something else.
Like your sanity, like yourfamily time or your sleep.
So say no without guilt.
Now, the third thing is timeblock for joy.
Now my friend, Jessica Janzenshout out girl.
She's amazing.
She is a joy expert.
(06:57):
She believes in blocking outtime for joy, right?
We block out time for work.
Why not?
Block time for joy.
Schedule an hour to watch yourfavorite holiday movie.
Mine is the Chevy chase,Christmas vacation, or elf.
It's a hard tie, right?
That is guilt-free.
Right.
Maybe schedule yourself amassage after you do all the
Christmas wrapping.
(07:17):
I put it on your calendar, likea meeting with your CEO, make it
a priority because honestly itis a priority.
And your CEO in this moment,it's you.
And then the fourth thing isdelegate, delegate, delegate.
Y'all delegating is one of myfavorite things here.
This holiday season is theseason that I want you to lean
(07:39):
on others.
Let your partner handle the giftwrapping, ask a friend to help
with party planning or.
Hire like a task rabbit to runerrands or do you groceries?
Delivery.
Okay.
You don't have to do at all.
And delegating is not a sign ofweakness.
My friends, it doesn't mean youare less than it.
Doesn't make the holidays lessmagical when you delegate it's a
(08:03):
power move.
When you delegate it, frees upyour time for those moments that
matter.
So delegate, delegate, delegate,and then the final and the fifth
tip that I have for you is toground yourself in gratitude.
And I know we are just comingoff November where gratitude is
all of the rage.
But I really do believe ingratitude.
(08:23):
So I just want you to get intothe practice of every morning,
take one or two minutes to justfocus on what you're grateful
for.
Whether that's your family oryour career or your health, or
just your growth that you'vebeen experiencing.
Gratitude is the fastest way.
To shift out of stress and intothe present moment.
(08:45):
It is quite literally thatmindset reset.
And you really do deserve thatpiece, especially during the
holidays.
Okay.
Peace on earth.
Y'all get with the program.
Okay.
Now here's the thing.
If you are feeling overwhelmedby all of these things that you
have to do, And you're like, Ineed more of this.
Whether, whether this is duringthe holiday season or any time I
(09:07):
want you to know there isanother way and you don't have
to do this alone.
Okay.
In my coaching program, I workwith nothing but ambitious
women, just like you to helpthem climb the ladder, shatter
the ceiling in, balancing it allwithout sacrificing your sanity
or losing your shit on those.
You love.
The holidays are a perfect timeto remind yourself of this okay.
(09:28):
That you don't need to do itall.
You don't have to do it all andyou definitely don't have to do
it all alone.
All right.
Y'all if this episode resonatedwith you, D M me the word ready
on Instagram or LinkedIn, andlet's talk, how can I support
you?
Because 2025 is just around thecorner and it's going to be your
(09:50):
year.
I know it.
And I want.
You to be able to start 20, 25with clarity and with
confidence.
Y'all thanks for tuning into theglass ceiling and sticky floor
podcast.
If this episode lit a fire underyou, go ahead and give it a five
star review.
Y'all it's how we get themessage into the hands of the
women who need to hear it most.
(10:11):
And don't stop there.
Let's keep the conversationgoing.
Find me on Instagram, LinkedIn,Facebook, YouTube, Tik, TOK,
wherever you are.
I promise you I am there and Iwill give you daily doses of
inspiration, free resources andall the tools you need to keep
smashing those ceilings.
Now until next time.
Remember this, the only limit isthe one you set, so let's break
(10:35):
through it together.
Let me paint a picture for you.
(00:02):
It's December, you've got a teammeeting at nine, a client
deadline by three.
And in between you're orderingthe teacher gifts.
You're scheduling your familyphotos and you're Googling all
of the different recipes thatyou need to have for the holiday
potluck.
Does that sound familiar?
Well, welcome to the mentalworkload of the holiday season,
especially for women like us,women who are ambitious, who are
(00:24):
holding it down at work and whoare making the season magical
for everybody else.
It's like we are running thismarathon while decorating the
track and the Christmas lightsy'all but here's the thing.
In the rush to get the perfectpresence.
I throw the best parties andsend out the most beautiful
cards.
We actually lose sight of whatreally matters.
(00:46):
And that's being truly present.
And let's be honest when youlook back on the holidays and do
you remember what you boughtyour kid's teacher in 2018?
Or do you remember the time youspent laughing over hot
chocolate with your family andjust how much love there was now
today we are going to unpack howyou can ditch the chaos.
And embrace presence overpresents this holiday season.
(01:11):
welcome to the glass ceiling andsticky floor podcast.
The show that's here to empoweryou to break free from limiting
beliefs, ditch toxic behaviors,and unlock the infinite
possibilities waiting for you.
This is your time to live yourbest life unapologetically.
I'm Erica Rooney, your host andbiggest cheerleader on a mission
to get more women into positionsof power and keep them there
(01:34):
where they belong.
Now, if you're ready to shatterceilings, crush self-doubt and
build a career in lifeoverflowing with growth and
abundance.
You're in the right place.
Here's the deal.
We talk about the hard stuff,the real stuff.
Imposter syndrome,perfectionism, fear, burnout,
you name it.
It's raw.
It's honest.
And it's exactly what you needto level up.
(01:55):
So grab a seat popping into yourbud and let's dive in.
Hey, everyone.
Welcome back to the glassceiling and sticky floor
podcast.
I'm Erica Rooney.
And today we are diving headfirst into the holiday madness,
the gifts, the parties, thecards, and why.
So many of us are feelingfrazzled.
(02:16):
Instead of festive.
And I want to call it what itis, right.
As women, we carry the mentalload of the holidays, just like
we do everything else.
We are the ones who remember thesecret Santa gift for work.
We move that damn elf everynight.
Right?
And the fact that Great AuntMartha prefers gluten-free
cookies over regular cookies.
(02:36):
Okay.
On top of that, we're managingour careers.
We're trying to hit our goalsand we're trying to show up as
the bad ass professional that weare, and it is fricking
exhausting.
Now here's a quick story foryou.
But a few years ago.
I wanted to go all out for theholidays.
I wanted to make it so magicalfor my children.
(02:58):
And I wanted to do this because,well, if I'm honest with you, I
wanted to do this because Ithought I had to do it.
Right.
I felt like I should do it all.
First of all, y'all know that isthe trigger word that I should.
Create these memories for mykids that I should have the
matching jammies.
I should have the perfectly reppresence in the cookies baked.
And this damn holiday cards.
(03:19):
Right.
And y'all know if you listen tothis podcast, I don't do that
anymore.
I don't do the holiday cards.
I've given them up.
But.
We're going back in time.
For this episode and this story.
So stick with me.
Okay.
Here's the deal.
I did six kinds of cookies.
I bought presents for eightgrandparents.
(03:39):
Yes.
I have eight grandparents for mychildren.
I have very complex family treeand the.
Multitude of cousins that comealong with that.
And it was exhausting.
I was literally sitting there onthe brink of burnout.
I wasn't enjoying anything.
It was backbreaking and mentallytaxing.
Very very stressful.
And I just wasn't enjoying it.
(04:01):
I wasn't enjoying the holidayseason.
It was just too much.
And by December 26.
Yeah, the day after Christmas, Iwas so wiped out.
I just wanted all of the holidayshit out of the house.
It was annoying me to look atit.
I wanted it clean, organized,and back to normal.
And y'all, that's not what theholidays are for.
You shouldn't feel that wayafter a joyful, special, fun
(04:24):
holiday with your family.
And that year, it really justtaught me this huge lesson.
And that lesson is that if I'mnot present in the moment, None
of the effort really matters.
Because no one remembersperfect.
They remember that connection.
And I can tell you now my kidsdon't remember anything.
(04:46):
About the Christmas cards or thecookies.
Or how crazy.
got that day.
They just remember the magic.
Right.
And it wasn't perfect magic andit doesn't have to be perfect
magic.
But let's get into it.
So how can people like usambitious, driven women step off
the hamster wheel and actuallyenjoy the holidays without
(05:10):
sacrificing our sanity or senseof self.
And I've got five strategies foreach day, five actionable
strategies.
And I'm going to go ahead anddive in because these are ones
that I use periodically all thetime.
And I just want you to havethese tools in your toolbox.
So pick what works for you,leave the rest, but the first
one is embracing.
(05:30):
Good enough.
Not every detail.
For this holiday has to bePinterest worthy.
Let the cards be simple or belike me and just don't do cards.
By the cookies from Publixinstead of baking them, y'all,
they've got an award winningbakery.
And if you don't live in theland of the south, where Publix
is, I've heard, Wegmans is justas great.
Okay.
(05:51):
How about this?
Let somebody else host you don'thave to have the family meal
every year.
Perfection is overrated.
And you, my friend havepermission to let things slide.
You really do.
Now the second strategy issaying no, without guilt.
Now this season, I really wantyou to start practicing saying
(06:14):
no to things that do not alignwith your priorities.
No to the extra bake sale.
No, to that second fundraiser,no.
To the party that is of yourneighbor, that you don't even
really like.
Saying no doesn't make youselfish.
It makes you smart.
So the pro tip here on this oneis if you do feel guilty,
(06:36):
remember this, that every yesyou give away is a no to
something else.
Like your sanity, like yourfamily time or your sleep.
So say no without guilt.
Now, the third thing is timeblock for joy.
Now my friend, Jessica Janzenshout out girl.
She's amazing.
She is a joy expert.
(06:57):
She believes in blocking outtime for joy, right?
We block out time for work.
Why not?
Block time for joy.
Schedule an hour to watch yourfavorite holiday movie.
Mine is the Chevy chase,Christmas vacation, or elf.
It's a hard tie, right?
That is guilt-free.
Right.
Maybe schedule yourself amassage after you do all the
Christmas wrapping.
(07:17):
I put it on your calendar, likea meeting with your CEO, make it
a priority because honestly itis a priority.
And your CEO in this moment,it's you.
And then the fourth thing isdelegate, delegate, delegate.
Y'all delegating is one of myfavorite things here.
This holiday season is theseason that I want you to lean
(07:39):
on others.
Let your partner handle the giftwrapping, ask a friend to help
with party planning or.
Hire like a task rabbit to runerrands or do you groceries?
Delivery.
Okay.
You don't have to do at all.
And delegating is not a sign ofweakness.
My friends, it doesn't mean youare less than it.
Doesn't make the holidays lessmagical when you delegate it's a
(08:03):
power move.
When you delegate it, frees upyour time for those moments that
matter.
So delegate, delegate, delegate,and then the final and the fifth
tip that I have for you is toground yourself in gratitude.
And I know we are just comingoff November where gratitude is
all of the rage.
But I really do believe ingratitude.
(08:23):
So I just want you to get intothe practice of every morning,
take one or two minutes to justfocus on what you're grateful
for.
Whether that's your family oryour career or your health, or
just your growth that you'vebeen experiencing.
Gratitude is the fastest way.
To shift out of stress and intothe present moment.
(08:45):
It is quite literally thatmindset reset.
And you really do deserve thatpiece, especially during the
holidays.
Okay.
Peace on earth.
Y'all get with the program.
Okay.
Now here's the thing.
If you are feeling overwhelmedby all of these things that you
have to do, And you're like, Ineed more of this.
Whether, whether this is duringthe holiday season or any time I
(09:07):
want you to know there isanother way and you don't have
to do this alone.
Okay.
In my coaching program, I workwith nothing but ambitious
women, just like you to helpthem climb the ladder, shatter
the ceiling in, balancing it allwithout sacrificing your sanity
or losing your shit on those.
You love.
The holidays are a perfect timeto remind yourself of this okay.
(09:28):
That you don't need to do itall.
You don't have to do it all andyou definitely don't have to do
it all alone.
All right.
Y'all if this episode resonatedwith you, D M me the word ready
on Instagram or LinkedIn, andlet's talk, how can I support
you?
Because 2025 is just around thecorner and it's going to be your
(09:50):
year.
I know it.
And I want.
You to be able to start 20, 25with clarity and with
confidence.
Y'all thanks for tuning into theglass ceiling and sticky floor
podcast.
If this episode lit a fire underyou, go ahead and give it a five
star review.
Y'all it's how we get themessage into the hands of the
women who need to hear it most.
(10:11):
And don't stop there.
Let's keep the conversationgoing.
Find me on Instagram, LinkedIn,Facebook, YouTube, Tik, TOK,
wherever you are.
I promise you I am there and Iwill give you daily doses of
inspiration, free resources andall the tools you need to keep
smashing those ceilings.
Now until next time.
Remember this, the only limit isthe one you set, so let's break
(10:35):
through it together.
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