Happy New Year! Here we are, 2025.
Whether you are someone who makes resolutions or not, the winter holiday season and the new year often bring a time of reflection and reset. After a few weeks of celebration, socializing, and indulgence, a moment of grounding and re-centering for the year ahead is welcome.
For me, the holidays are a tug-of-war between my extroverted and introverted sides.
The extroverted side of me wants to be invited to the parties and loves the idea of festivities like tree lightings, turkey dinners, and holiday brunches. Meanwhile, my introverted side longs to stay home and cocoon; to enjoy slow, lazy mornings, long walks with my dogs, and afternoons spent making soup, dreaming about this year’s garden, or focusing on a creative project. It’s in these quieter moments that I reconnect with myself. I allow my analytical, do-er brain to relax and revel in the post-holiday peace and quiet. During this time, I re-align. I reconnect with my thoughts, emotions, and values. Without urgency, I consider how I can continue living in alignment in the year ahead or what adjustments I might make.
This has less to do with making a new year’s resolution and more to do with the natural transition of the year. Intentionally finding quiet moments throughout the year is imperative for me. To this end, I am embracing January—specifically, ‘Slow January.’
We know January is hard. It’s naturally a quieter time when our bank balances are depleted, the nights are long, and not much seems to be happening. This year, I’ve decided to lean into the quiet. While there are more demands on my time for work-related activities, there is also the reduced pressure of the holidays. There is time to focus on things that intentionally bring me joy. Here is my list:
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Cooking and eating well
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Taking long winter walks
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Reading fiction
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Enjoying long evenings by the fire with a knitting project
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Winter sowing seeds (an ultimate act of hope)
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Watching good TV (currently watching Shetland and waiting for the next season of Severance)
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Having coffee meetups with friends
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Decluttering, simplifying, and organizing
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Taking a social media break—less scrolling, more joy!