Let’s be honest, the holidays are magical, but they can also be a lot.
Between buying gifts, organizing family gatherings, prepping content for your business, and keeping up with everyday life, it’s easy to go from “festive” to frazzled fast.
But what if this year could feel a little different?
What if you could actually enjoy the season? ANNNNNND, you can!
And it starts with one simple mindset shift, you don’t have to do everything manually.
This holiday season, let’s talk about how AI and automation can be your secret helpers, helping you plan smarter, create easier, and actually rest.
1. Automate Your Gift Lists (and Keep Your Sanity)
Every year, I tell myself I’ll start early. And every year… I’m panic-searching for something meaningful two days before the family party. This year, I let AI do the heavy lifting. Tools like ChatGPT have smart suggestions that can help you:
- Organize your gift list by person, budget, and status (bought, wrapped, delivered).
- Generate gift ideas based on age, interests, or hobbies.
- Even remind you when sales or shipping deadlines are coming up.
💡 Bonus tip: Use a recurring automation (like Zapier or Notion templates) so next year, you just duplicate the list, not start from scratch.
2. Automate Your Budget (Yes, Even the Holiday One)
The holidays are wonderful, but they can also quietly drain your wallet.
Before you know it, “just a few small things” becomes why did I spend $500 on matching pajamas?
Try connecting your accounts to budgeting apps with AI insights, like Monarch or Rocket Money, to track and categorize spending automatically. You can even set up alerts when you’re close to your limit or when subscription costs creep up. Because nothing says “Merry Christmas” like not being surprised by your credit card bill in January.
3. Automate Your Content & Social Posts
If you’re a business owner, podcaster or creator, the holidays can be a double-edged sword: your audience is active, but your energy is not. That’s where content automation comes in.
Tools like Canva can help you:
- Batch your content early (think: 2–3 weeks of posts scheduled).
- Automatically repurpose one video or blog into multiple formats.
- Use AI caption writers that keep your tone and brand voice.
💡 Pro tip: Record a few short “evergreen” episodes or posts in advance, like “Year-End Reflections” or “What I Learned from Podcasting This Year.”
They’ll resonate now and can be reused later.
My Little Rant
The real flex isn’t sprinting through December, it’s building systems that make January (and every season after) easier. Automation isn’t about doing less work; it’s about doing less repetitive work. When you set reminders, save templates, and schedule recurring tasks, you’re not just surviving this season, you’re training your future self to move without friction.
I’m done glorifying “busy.” I want repeatable. I want calm. I want to click a button and know the newsletter draft, the social posts, the checklist, done. That’s not laziness; that’s leadership. Moms don’t need more grit; we need better guardrails. Put the brainwork into the system once so you can show up where it actually matters, your people, your craft, your health.
And because it’s the holidays, let’s be honest about the assignment. Presence beats perfection. Let the tech handle the noise so you can be there for the magic and the mess, the laughter, the cookies, the movie nights, the quiet. Automate the reset, sip the peppermint mocha, and remember: momentum comes from smart systems, not harder hustling.
P.S. Don’t just read it, hear it. New episodes of 9 to 5 Mom with a Pod drop regularly. Follow on [Apple] or [Spotify], and binge the latest episodes. 🎧
Want more like this? Read How to Book Podcast Guests Without the Stress: My Top 5 Lessons.
Both accounts offer valuable tools, but it’s all about choosing what aligns with your goals. If you’re focused on building a personal brand or growing as a content creator, a Creator account is your go-to. On the other hand, if you’re running a business and want to leverage e-commerce features, the Professional account is perfect for you.
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If you want to know how to apply instagram’s best practices, here is the link to acess blog post directly from instagram: https://creators.instagram.com/blog/best-practices-for-creators?locale=en_US
Note: this feature is not available to all creators yet.
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