Before everything speeds up again...

As the year comes to a close, I notice something that happens almost automatically for many business owners, myself included. The world starts nudging us toward momentum again.

Conversations shift to next year’s goals.

Social media fills with reflections and plans.

Even rest starts to feel like a pause before the next sprint.

If you have spent most of the year building, leading, supporting others, and carrying responsibility, that shift can feel heavy instead of exciting. 😒

I wanted to write this because I know how easy it is to move straight from the holidays into another season of go-go-go, without giving yourself any space to land first.

I have done this more times than I can count. I have told myself that January is when things slow down, only to realize that my nervous system never actually got the memo. 😅

This blog is not about productivity, routines, or setting intentions. It is about creating a softer transition back to yourself, especially if your default mode is always doing, fixing, and planning.

After busy seasons, I often catch myself reaching for my phone out of habit, mentally reviewing tasks, or thinking about what needs to happen next, even when nothing is urgent.

It took me a while to realize that this is not motivation. It can even be a nervous system that has been on high alert for too long.

What has helped me is choosing small, offline moments that do not ask anything from me. They are not impressive, not optimized but they simply create space... for me.

Sometimes that looks like taking a slow walk without tracking steps or listening to anything.

I leave my phone behind and let my thoughts wander without trying to organize them.

Other times, it looks like sitting with a cup of coffee at home and letting it cool while I stare out the window, doing absolutely nothing else.

There are days when even that feels like enough.

When the weather keeps me indoors, I gravitate toward simple things. I stretch on the floor in ways that feel good, not disciplined.

I open a window for a few minutes just to let the room change. I light a candle at night and let myself watch the flame instead of scrolling.

I have also learned that reflection does not always need prompts or insights. Sometimes I write a few honest sentences about what the year asked of me, what surprised me, or what I am quietly proud of but never shared.

Other times, I close the notebook and decide that I do not need words at all.

If connection feels nourishing but socializing feels like too much, I choose presence over performance.

I sit in the same room as someone I trust while we do our own things. There is no catching up, no problem-solving, no agenda. Just shared quiet.

None of these activities are meant to fix anything. They are simply reminders that I am (and you are) allowed to slow down without earning it.

I know many of you reading this wear multiple hats. You lead businesses. You support clients. You manage teams. You hold emotional and mental load that often goes unseen.

If that is you, I want to say this clearly. You do not need to end the year strong, productive, or ahead. You are allowed to end it gently.

Before the world speeds up again and before the new year brings its familiar urgency, I hope you give yourself permission to pause. You do not need to remove every responsibility.

Sometimes it is enough to set the hats down for a moment and remember who you are underneath them. If all you do in the days after the holidays is choose one small moment to be present with yourself, that matters.

If you do nothing at all and simply rest, that matters too. 💗