It may be the most wonderful time of the year for you or not, or maybe it’s a little of both. Either way, there are a few simple shifts that you can make to welcome in more peace and joy as we finish the year. You may even want to carry some of these changes into the new year.
5 Simple Shifts To End The Year With More Peace And Ease
If these simple shifts don’t feel simple enough, check in and ask yourself what you need most to reduce overwhelm, and feel more at ease. What’s the tiniest step you could take to feel better. Use the suggestions below or create your own ideas about how to finish the year.
1. Try a daily time-out.
Tis the season to squeeze everything in before the end of the year. Instead, make a simple shift by scheduling a daily time-out. Remove any non-essential appointments or commitments from your calendar so you have a little extra room for you. It might be 5 minutes if that’s all you have or a full hour to take a nap, read a book, go for walk, talk to a friend, be alone or however you want to spend your time-out. Little daily breaks will help you move through the day and the rest of the year knowing that you don’t have to wait until it’s over to rest and relax. Choose a time-out over burnout.
2. Trade cocktails for mocktails.
The festive nature of the holiday season makes it seem like drinking is more fun this time of year. When I stopped drinking alcohol almost 5 years ago, I wondered if the holidays would be as fun as they were with a little bubbly. As it turns out, I enjoy the holidays even more without alcohol. I never have a holiday hangover, stay out too late or feel rundown from those festive cocktails. I especially love that I don’t have to make any drinking related decisions over the holidays when everything already feels a little extra. No questions about what to drink, how much to drink or who’s driving. It’s just off the table. Even if you don’t want to give up alcohol forever, consider what it might be like to go without it for the rest of the year. You’ll won’t just save money but you will likely avoid a few headaches, sleepless nights and a little drama too.
3. Disconnect to better connect.
Make a simple shift away from your phone, away from the news and out of your inbox for the last few days of the year. Disconnect from as much noise as possible so you can better connect with yourself and the people around you. It’s hard to be present when you are plugged into a conversation happening in the comments section of a social media account about something you aren’t really sure if you care about at all. Before you open email or social media ask yourself, “Do I care?” and “Is this urgent?” When the answer is, “no,” come back and show up for your life.
4. Shop your home before you shop the world.
The sales are not going to stop. Retailers will do whatever it takes to remove the friction between you adding to cart and clicking the buy button. Make a simple shift from extra shopping to no shopping. Start a mini-shopping ban by shopping your home before you shop the world. It can be so tempting to overspend and shop now leading to buyer’s remorse in the new year with more clutter, debt and stress to deal with. Instead, shop your home first. Could you re-gift a book or beautiful flower vase full of fresh flowers? You might have some goodies you received for the holidays last year that you never used and can pop in someone’s stocking. Maybe you’ll find something to wear for New Year’s Eve in the back of your closet. I’ll be wearing my pajamas! Be gentle with yourself and take a little shopping trip around your house, or decide that for today, enough is enough.
5. Enjoy a simple pleasure.
Give yourself some joy every single day with a simple pleasure. Make a simple shift from saving any pleasure for when you complete your to-do list to putting joy first. Your simple pleasure might be coffee in bed, a nice walk, chatting with a friend, listening to your favorite music or creating a simple ritual. Don’t save your simple pleasure as a reward. You do not have to earn it. You are allowed a simple pleasure when you are having a good day or a bad one. These simple pleasures are usually small, inexpensive and easy to get started. Taking care of yourself and doing little things that make you smile will certainly fill your day with more peace and ease.
What makes these 5 simple shifts, simple is knowing you are only trying them on through the end of the year. If you notice benefits, continue with them in the new year, or every Saturday, Wednesday or a day that works best for you.