In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Vanessa De Jesus Guzman unpacks the guilt moms silently carry during the holiday season - especially the cultural guilt, emotional pressure, and endless “I shoulds” that make this time of year heavier than it looks online. Recorded in real time during a week filled with sick kids, canceled plans, and dropped responsibilities, Vanessa shares a relatable story that highlights how quickly guilt takes over, even when we’re doing our best.

This conversation helps moms understand why guilt shows up, where it comes from, and how to shift from obligation to values in order to create a holiday season that feels lighter, calmer, and more aligned with what truly matters.

EPISODE DESCRIPTION
• Understand the three layers of the “guilt sandwich” moms unconsciously carry during the holidays.
• Explore the cultural and generational expectations that intensify holiday overwhelm.
• Identify the “shoulding” language that fuels mom guilt without us realizing it.
• Learn three simple tools to interrupt guilt spirals with self-awareness and compassion.
• Hear personal stories that show what it looks like to choose capacity over pressure.
• Discover how gratitude and grounded choices can transform the way your holidays feel.

TUNE IN TO LEARN
• Why holiday guilt feels so heavy for moms
• How to tell the difference between values and obligation
• What cultural expectations add to your emotional load
• The signs of guilt-driven decision-making
• Three tools to break the guilt cycle
• How to honor your capacity during the busiest season
• Ways gratitude can shift holiday overwhelm into presence

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Making Spirits Bright: A free reflection guide to help you reconnect with joy and presence https://www.freetobemindful.com/makingspiritsbright

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DISCLAIMER:
Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not ...

Every scroll, every sparkle, every “perfect” photo tells us that holiday joy means having it all together. But what if the real magic of the season isn’t found in doing more, it’s found in being present?

In this installment of The Anti-Overwhelm Holiday Series, licensed therapist, educator, and mom coach Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC, NCC unpacks The Myth of the Perfect Holiday Mom. She shares honest stories, relatable humor, and practical ways to step away from comparison and step back into connection. Whether you’re the “half-homemade holiday mom” or the one whose tree goes up in October, this episode will help you find more peace and less pressure.

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

• How perfectionism hides behind “holiday spirit” and what it really costs moms
• Why genuine joy has nothing to do with perfect photos or matching pajamas
• The power of reframing perfection as presence
• How to quiet comparison culture and reclaim your peace
• Small, connection-based traditions that make the season more meaningful
  
  

TUNE IN TO LEARN

• 4 Mindful Shifts to Ease Holiday Overwhelm
  1. Recognize the pressure disguised as “holiday spirit.”
  2. Reframe perfection into presence.
  3. Challenge comparison culture.
  4. Replace performance with connection.
• How to check in with yourself, even if your cards are already mailed and your house really does stay white.
  
  
• Gentle ways to bring calm, laughter, and light back into your holidays.
  
  
  

TAKEAWAY MESSAGE

The holidays aren’t about doing more; they’re about feeling more connection, more peace, more you. When we trade performance for presence, we create moments that actually fill us up instead of draining us.

Download your free reflection guide “Making Spirits Bright: Reflections for a More Meaningful Holiday” to help you slow down, savor small joys, and reconnect with what matters most:
👉 https://www.freetobemindful.com/makingspiritsbright

Listen in, share with a friend

Send us a text

Support the show

120 COPING SKILLS
https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills

1:1 PRIVATE COACHING FOR MOMS

https://www.amigamoms.com/

WATCH THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE:
https://www.youtube.com/@counselorvdejesus


GET THE MUSE HEADBAND AT A DISCOUNT!
https://choosemuse.com/freetobemindful
Use this link to get 15% off your total when you purchase the amazing brain sensing headband that tells you when you're in a meditative state and guides you to improve your practice.


LET’S STAY CONNECTED
🌐 Website: https://www.freetobemindful.com
🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/
💛 Coaching for Moms: https://www.amigamoms.com/
🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking


DISCLAIMER:
Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not ...

In this first episode of The Anti-Overwhelm Holiday Series, host Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, licensed therapist and mom coach, pulls back the tinsel to talk about the truth many won’t say out loud: moms don’t get a holiday season… we run it.

From meal planning and gift shopping to managing family expectations and keeping the “magic” alive, the invisible load moms carry this time of year is real — and exhausting. Vanessa explores the cultural layers behind that pressure, why it’s not your fault, and how you can soften the load without losing the traditions you love.

This is the conversation every mom needs before the holiday rush starts.

TUNE IN TO LEARN

• Why the “holiday magic” we celebrate often comes at moms’ expense
• How culture and family expectations add pressure to “do it all”
• The difference between meaningful traditions and draining obligations
• Five small shifts to protect your peace this season
• Simple, mindful ways to set boundaries with love — and without guilt

TAKEAWAY MESSAGE
You don’t need to do it all to make the season meaningful. As we move into the holidays, choose peace over perfection, rest over rush, and presence over pressure. The holidays don’t need a hero, they just need you, whole, rested, and present.

Send us a text

Support the show

120 COPING SKILLS
https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills

1:1 PRIVATE COACHING FOR MOMS

https://www.amigamoms.com/

WATCH THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE:
https://www.youtube.com/@counselorvdejesus


GET THE MUSE HEADBAND AT A DISCOUNT!
https://choosemuse.com/freetobemindful
Use this link to get 15% off your total when you purchase the amazing brain sensing headband that tells you when you're in a meditative state and guides you to improve your practice.


LET’S STAY CONNECTED
🌐 Website: https://www.freetobemindful.com
🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/
💛 Coaching for Moms: https://www.amigamoms.com/
🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking


DISCLAIMER:
Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not ...