Holiday hustle without the burnout: How founders can protect their well-being preparing for the busiest season of the year

The holidays are approaching, and amidst the Friendsgivings, turkey carvings and sneaky holiday shopping, we entrepreneurs are gearing up for our busiest season of the year. For many business owners, this is an exciting⁠—⁠but also daunting⁠—⁠time. We’re juggling new item launches, promotional calendars, fulfillment challenges and watching our finances like a hawk to close the year strong⁠—⁠all while trying to be present with family and friends. While the simple answer would be to slow down and find balance, the reality is that for many of us, putting down the work isn’t an option. So instead, let’s talk about ways to keep the hustle going without feeling the burnout.

During the holiday season, everything moves incredibly quickly, and it’s easy to spend your time reacting instead of focusing on what actually matters and will move the business forward. I’ve found that scheduling and planning ahead gives me the space to be intentional about where I focus my energy. I’d rather be managing end‑of‑year profitability than approving a last‑minute asset. Proper preparation doesn’t eliminate every surprise, but it does help ensure I’m not getting bogged down by things that don’t matter. Here are two things that have been lifesavers for me:

• Email automation: As a founder who receives far too many emails with varying levels of importance, I need to make sure I stay on top of what matters and file away what can wait. I use an AI‑powered email management tool to do the heavy lifting⁠—⁠flagging priority emails, filtering out junk and highlighting what needs a follow‑up. It has saved me hours of time and helps me head into the holiday season with a clear mind and a clean inbox.
• Marketing automation: This year, my team set an aggressive goal of having 90% of our emails and social media scheduled by September 15. That prevents the stress of reviewing and approving assets during the holidays. By leveraging social scheduling platforms and AI‑powered planning tools to analyze last year’s holiday performance, we’ve been able to make that goal a reality. We use AI to answer important questions such as: Which products were customers most likely to purchase together? What subject lines drove the highest open rates? What types of social posts consistently performed best? These insights give my team hours back so they can focus on execution instead of digging through spreadsheets.

I know preparation isn’t a cure‑all, and we’re bound to encounter a few curveballs. A new product launch may not perform as expected, or an email from a buyer may change my financial assumptions and require me to pivot. It’s in those moments, with the added pressure of the holidays, that everything can start to feel overwhelming. As founders, we’re often used to building the plane while flying it. While that mindset can absolutely help us grow our businesses, it doesn’t always serve our well‑being. Burnout doesn’t happen because we can’t handle pressure⁠—⁠it happens because we ignore the signs and haven’t built a self‑care toolkit before we need it.

One of my greatest defenses against burnout has been building what I call my self‑care toolkit. This isn’t something I’ve always been good at, but it’s something I’ve intentionally focused on over the past two years. My toolkit consists of habits and activities that help me reset and regain a sense of calm. For me, that looks like going for a walk or run, painting, listening to music, dancing like no one is watching and journaling. When I find myself spiraling, I turn to those tools because I’ve learned that simply powering through doesn’t allow me to show up as the clear‑minded leader my team needs⁠—⁠or, more importantly, show up for myself.

So, you might be wondering: How do I know what belongs in my self‑care toolkit? I’m glad you asked. The tools in your toolkit should help you feel more regulated afterward. That doesn’t necessarily mean completely calm. You may simply notice that your body feels less tense, your thoughts are less scattered or challenging situations feel more manageable.

One practical way to figure this out is to pick an activity⁠—⁠walking, journaling, breathing exercises or something else. Before you begin, rate your stress from 1–10 and notice what’s happening in your body and mind. Afterward, ask yourself: Has my stress level shifted? Are my thoughts moving less quickly? Do I feel more capable of deciding what to do next? If an activity consistently helps, even by one or two points, it probably deserves a place in your toolkit. You also don’t need a one‑size‑fits‑all approach. Different tools serve different purposes. Journaling may help you organize your thoughts, movement may release physical tension and painting may give your mind a restorative break. The goal isn’t to find one perfect solution⁠—⁠it’s to build a collection of reliable ways to come back to yourself.

This will be my sixth holiday season as a founder, and over time I’ve learned the power of preparation. It’s not just about using tools to stay ahead in your business⁠—⁠it’s also about having tools that help you stay in the right mindset. I grew tired of missing time with friends and family only to arrive in January carrying the weight of it all. While we’re talking about the holiday season, the real goal is to build practical systems that support your business year‑round without losing yourself in the process.

This holiday season, I want to challenge you to get ahead wherever you can⁠—⁠let go of the things that don’t really matter and lean on the tools that help you come back to yourself when things feel heavy. Before the season gets busy, ask yourself: What can I prepare now and what will I reach for when the pressure starts to build?

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About the author

After many years of waiting for a brand to come in and to help her feel seen, Jasmin launched Be Rooted to change the face of the stationery industry. She wants the Be Rooted community to feel rooted in culture, rooted in representation, and rooted in who they are. For far too long and in too many spaces, Black and Brown women have been left unseen and unspoken to. Be Rooted was created to flip that narrative and center Black and Brown women by making them feel loved, celebrated, and uplifted.