From Chaos to Calm: My Personal Post-Thanksgiving Wind-Down Routine

If you’re anything like me, by the time the last slice of pumpkin pie is gone and the final dish is washed, your soul is whispering one thing: rest.

Thanksgiving is beautiful and chaotic all at once. The laughter, the smells of roasted turkey, the sound of family filling every corner of the house, it’s wonderful… but also a lot. As moms, we often carry the emotional and physical load of making it all magical. The cooking, the cleaning, the meltdowns, the overstimulation (both ours and our kids’), the endless “Mom, where’s the gravy?” questions. By the end of it, I’m both thankful and utterly drained.

When the guests leave and the quiet finally settles in, I can almost feel my body saying, okay, now it’s your turn.

This is my little ritual — my personal post-Thanksgiving wind-down routine — to help me shift from chaos to calm. It’s not fancy or expensive, but it’s real. It’s my way of grounding myself again, finding peace in the stillness, and reminding myself that I matter too.

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🕯️ Step One: Declutter the Energy, Not Just the Mess

I used to feel like I had to scrub every inch of the kitchen the moment the guests left. But honestly? Sometimes the mess can wait. What I do clean right away is my energy.

I dim the lights, put away just enough dishes to make the space breathable, and light my favourite soy candle, which has a soft vanilla or amber scent, like the Craft and Kin Patchouli and Amber scented Soy Candle, one of my favourites. There’s something about a cozy glow that melts the stress right off me. I’ll sometimes spray a calming lavender room mist to make the air feel lighter.

Then, I breathe. Long, deep breaths. I remind myself that the house doesn’t need to be spotless tonight. What it needs is warmth. And what I need is rest.

☕ Step Two: My Warm Cup of Comfort

This is my sacred moment — my warm drink ritual. It could be a cup of chamomile tea with honey, one of my favourites is the Celestial Seasonings Honey Vanilla Herbal Chamomile Tea, or a mug of creamy hot cocoa topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon. I sit by the window, wrapped in my weighted blanket, and let my thoughts slow down.

I often think about how fast these days go. How I blink, and my kids are growing right before my eyes. The holidays remind me of that — how every messy, loud, emotional moment is still a blessing.

I sip slowly, no rushing, no scrolling on my phone. Just being.

🛁 Step Three: The Candlelit Bath Reset

Once my little one is tucked in, the house is finally quiet. That’s when I fill the bathtub with warm water and add a scoop of Epsom salts infused with lavender or eucalyptus. Sometimes I drop in a bath bomb, something that fizzes softly and makes the water smell like peace.

I light a few candles, dim the bathroom light, and just soak.

No interruptions. No guilt. Just me, the water, and the sound of my breathing.

This is the part that often makes me tear up a bit. Because in that stillness, I realize how much I carry as a mom — the cooking, the worrying, the endless to-do list, the quiet fears that I’m not doing enough. And yet, here I am, still showing up with love. That deserves to be honoured.

Sometimes, while I soak, I’ll play soft lofi or spa music. One of my go-to YouTube channels for soothing beats is Cosmic Zen Beats — something gentle enough that it feels like a hug for my brain.

🌿 Step Four: My Gratitude and Grounding Moment

After the bath, I wrap myself in my softest cotton robe and sit with my journal. I don’t make it complicated — just a few lines about what I’m grateful for.

Even on the hardest days, there’s always something:

• My son’s laughter when the bubbles overflowed during bath time.

• The smell of dinner filling the house.

• The fact that, even though life feels heavy sometimes, I still find light in the smallest things.

I try to write from the heart, not perfection. Sometimes my handwriting is messy, but so is motherhood. That’s okay.

This journaling moment helps me reconnect with myself — beyond the mom role, beyond the chaos. It reminds me that gratitude doesn’t have to be grand. It can live in the quiet.

🧘 Step Five: A Cozy Night’s Sleep

Finally, I make my room feel like a sanctuary. I spray a bit of sleep mist on my pillow, turn on my white noise machine, and crawl under my comforter.

Before I drift off, I do a simple breathing exercise: inhale peace, exhale stress. Sometimes I place a weighted eye mask over my eyes to block the light and calm my nervous system.

And as my body relaxes, I whisper a little thank-you to myself — for holding it all together, for loving fiercely, for surviving the beautiful chaos of motherhood and holidays.

💛 A Little Reminder for You, Mama

If you’re reading this and you’re exhausted after Thanksgiving, please know you’re not alone. So many of us are running on fumes, holding space for everyone else’s needs while ignoring our own.

But you deserve a moment — even ten quiet minutes — to just be.

To breathe deeply.
To rest your mind.
To feel proud of how much you give.

It’s okay to let the dishes sit until tomorrow.
It’s okay to hide in the bathroom with your favourite candle for ten minutes of peace.
It’s okay to say, “I need a break.”

Because taking care of you is not selfish — it’s survival.

This weekend, try to carve out your own little post-holiday ritual. It doesn’t have to look like mine. Maybe it’s a long walk in the crisp air, a cup of coffee while your kids nap, or watching your favourite show in soft pajamas. Whatever brings you calm — do that.

You’ve earned it, mama.

To Conclude

Every Thanksgiving, I’m reminded that motherhood is equal parts chaos and beauty. We juggle it all the meals, the emotions, the expectations and still manage to pour love into every moment.

But after the feast, after the laughter fades and the lights dim, we need to pour that same love back into ourselves.

So light the candle. Run the bath. Wrap yourself in softness.
And remember: peace doesn’t have to be perfect — it just has to be yours.