How to Go Into the Holidays Without the Pressure to Catch Up

If you've ever headed into a break thinking "I'll finally catch up on everything," only to feel guilty the entire time—this episode is for you. Dr. Hayley Kelly breaks down why the pressure to be productive over holidays backfires, and gives you a practical framework to actually rest (or maintain minimal momentum) without the guilt.

This is the final Therapists Rising episode before a two-week break, and it couldn't be more timely. For therapists in Australia staring down six weeks of school holidays—or anyone facing year-end break pressure—Hayley shares the exact decision-making tool that helps you choose between full rest or minimal maintenance, and actually feel good about your choice. No fluff, no "just be kind to yourself" advice. This is a teachable framework you can use immediately.

HERE ARE THE KEY INSIGHTS:

1️⃣ The Capacity Audit – Learn how to accurately assess what's actually available to you during a break (spoiler: it's about one-fifth of what you think). Hayley walks you through the exact questions to ask yourself about time, nervous system capacity, and competing demands—so you're working with reality, not fantasy.

2️⃣ The Inertia Calculation – The framework for deciding whether to maintain minimal momentum or take full rest. You'll learn the specific criteria for each path, why there's no universal right answer, and how to make the choice that fits YOUR reality right now.

3️⃣ Implementation Strategies – If you choose minimal maintenance: how to define your minimum, reality-check the time required (double your estimate!), match it to actual capacity, and set a ceiling so it doesn't creep into becoming your whole break. If you choose full rest: how to do a clean stop, set boundaries, and use the "That's for January-me" mantra.

4️⃣ The Guilt Release Protocol – The missing piece that makes either choice actually work. Learn how to acknowledge guilt when it shows up (it will), return to your decision, and practice releasing pressure throughout the break—not as a one-time event, but as an ongoing practice.

YOU'LL ALSO HEAR:

• Why breaks don't expand capacity—they change it
• The chronic underestimation problem therapists have with time and tasks
• Why we overestimate available time and underestimate how long things take (recipe for self-loathing)
• The timeline reality check: actual vs. fantasy timelines for building a business
• How pressure sneaks in quietly and compounds over the break
• Why rest is not falling behind—it's what makes everything else possible
• What January looks like when you actually rest versus dragging guilt forward

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Therapists Rising:

• The Incubator: therapistsrising.com/incubator
• Instagram: @dr.hayleykelly

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW:

If this episode gave you a framework to approach your break without pressure—or helped you give yourself permission to actually rest—please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your reviews help more therapists find these conversations.

See you in the new year. Rest well.