Everywhere you look right now - on TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram - someone is showing off their version of the perfect holiday.

The “Ralph Lauren Christmas.”

The maximalist tree.

The tablescape that looks to be straight out of a magazine.

The gift wrap that belongs on a mood board.

It’s beautiful, sure. But it’s also… a lot.

And if you’ve ever found yourself scrolling through those perfectly lit, perfectly curated scenes and thinking, Should I be doing more? Should my home look like that? Should I look like that? - you’re not alone.

Comparison doesn’t just creep in through home decor.
It slips in through beauty standards, body trends, outfits, routines - all polished, filtered, and algorithm-approved.

Suddenly the season that’s meant to be warm, grounding, and joyful starts to feel like a performance you have to keep up with.

But joy was never meant to be staged.

It was meant to be felt.

And the moments we actually remember rarely match what we see online. They’re quieter, softer, sometimes complex, more human:

Warm hands around a mug.
A living room that looks lived in.
A body that shimmers with both deep contentment... and deep fatigue.
Belly laughs with friends before the next gathering pulls you in ten different directions.

This year, we’re choosing this gentler path.

Cozy over comparison, presence over performance, and enough-ness over excess.

 

The Comparison Trap (and What It Steals)

Whether it shows up as holiday décor, body image, parenting expectations, or the “perfect” morning routine, comparison quietly pulls us away from our lives and into someone else’s.

We shrink, lose the thread of what actually matters, and it turns a season of connection into a season of measuring.

The pressure to keep up with what we see online can pull us out of our own lives and into someone else’s expectations. It turns a season of connection into a stress fueled checklist.

But the holidays were never meant to be a competition.

They were meant to be experienced - with the people you love, in the home you’re in, with the life you already have.

What If This Year Looked Different?

What if you didn’t add more?
Buy more?
Decorate more?
Push yourself more?

What if you chose depth instead of display?

• A warm hug on a cold morning.
• A living room that feels lived in.
• A quiet morning with soft light.
• A body cared for, not criticized.

Sometimes the simplest moments are the ones that feel most like home.

 

A Perspective Shift: Returning to What Matters

We’ve always believed in the power of tiny rituals - the ones that bring you back to yourself:

• Washing your face with warm water after a long day.
• Moisturizing the skin that’s carried you through errands, emotions, seasons.
• Stepping into a quiet bathroom with scents that make your shoulders drop an inch.

These aren’t about glow-ups or perfection.
They’re about care.

Care for a body that shows up for you.
Care for a nervous system that needs softness.
Care for the small, grounding moments that reconnect you to yourself.

You don’t have to earn your worth through more effort, more decor, more doing.

Sometimes the smallest rituals are the ones that return us to ourselves.

 

A Moment for Body Gratitude

Last year, we talked about body gratitude - and it feels important to bring that reminder back now, when comparison is loudest.

Comparison doesn’t only touch our homes. It touches our bodies too - especially during a season filled with photos, events, and pressure.

Your body - with its softness, strength, stretch marks, and steady resilience - deserves tenderness, not scrutiny.

Try this simple practice:

Each night, name one thing your body did for you today.
Just one. It could be:

• Carried you through a long errand day.
• Kept going even though you were tired.
• Let you hug someone you love.
• Guided you through a breath that calmed you down.

This tiny ritual is a quiet antidote to comparison - a reminder that your worth isn’t defined by how you look, but by how deeply you live.

When the world gets loud this season - when the feeds get glossy and the pressure climbs - you get to choose how it feels for you.

And maybe this year, you choose a holiday that’s softer, simpler, and full of moments that feel like you.