Ending the Year Strong: Practical Advice for Stress-Free Holiday Planning

Ending the Year Strong: Practical Advice for Stress-Free Holiday Planning

From Modern Financial Wellness by Modern Financial Wellness

November 20, 2025 · 39 min · Episode 44

About this episode

The episode discusses strategies for managing stress and maintaining productivity during the holiday season.

Welcome back to Modern Financial Wellness! In this episode, we dive into a topic that resonates with so many of us—how to navigate the overwhelming demands of the fall season and maintain productivity (and sanity!) as we approach the holidays and the end of the year. If you’ve ever felt a wave of anxiety triggered by the sight of Christmas decorations in October or the reminder that “Q4” is flying by, you’re not alone. To help us work through these feelings and get practical strategies for this time of year, I was thrilled to welcome back Sarah Reiff-Hekking, founder of True Focus Coaching. Sarah’s expertise in time management, productivity, and coaching for busy professionals is a perfect fit for the “fall freakout” that so many of us experience. We started the conversation with a real-life example—my own mini-panic at seeing Christmas decorations in a store before Halloween—and explored what triggers this seasonal overwhelm. Sarah broke down the unique pressures of fall, from shifting routines as kids go back to school, to the barrage of holidays and year-end work deadlines, and the added layer of economic and political uncertainty. Together, we discussed how to bring ourselves…

People in this episode

Host: Modern Financial Wellness

Guest: Sarah Reiff-Hekking

Topics covered

  • holiday planning
  • stress management
  • productivity
  • time management
  • work-life balance

Keywords

  • holiday planning
  • stress-free
  • productivity
  • time management
  • fall season

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: True Focus Coaching

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