Between the mad dash to December, the frantic joy of the holidays, and the urgency of the New Year, it’s no surprise that some of us feel exhausted come January 1st (myself included). I don’t know about you, but I am over feeling pressured to “hit the ground running.” In fact, I don’t want to run at all in 2025. I have found that living slower is so much sweeter than racing to the ever-shifting finish line. In this post, I’ll share the simplest way to slow down time in 2025.
Ground yourself in January
We associate January with massive change, but I think it’s actually a period of over-commitment and a major source of self-inflicted pressure.
We’re so motivated to start the new year on the right foot that we take on too many resolutions. This creates unnecessary stress after an already stressful period (let’s be honest, even when we try to make the holidays stress-free, something always comes up!).
Instead of trying to change everything all at once, why not use January to ground yourself after the hectic holiday season?
Why not embrace slow living from the very beginning?
Rebuild routines in January
No matter how much we try to avoid it, the holidays disrupt our key routines: self-care, eating, movement, and sleep.
Instead of making it harder on yourself by trying to change those and more, why not ease into the new year by settling back into consistent routines?
Consistency is key to living slower. It creates a sense of peace and offers comfort. It also gives you the energy to take on bigger challenges.
I think consistency is the ultimate love letter to yourself; self-care at its purest. And I think consistency is the basis of slow living.
To me, consistency looks like:
- Making time for my favorite hobby (reading)
- Going to bed early
- Waking up early to exercise
- Prepping the majority of my meals so they are balanced and nutrient dense
- Prioritizing quiet workdays (even when everyone else wants to go, go, go)
What does consistency mean to you?
Start with tiny habits
This isn’t to say you shouldn’t make any changes in January.
But instead of trying to build many new habits at once, start slow with just a few that are easy to achieve. It could be as simple (but powerful) as embracing positive affirmations.
Use these tiny habits as opportunities to learn what motivates you to embrace change and what causes you to resist it (or feel guilty about putting yourself first).
And while these changes are taking root, observe and take inventory of your life: everything that is and isn’t working for you.
Be an objective observer in your life to identify the most impactful changes you could make in the months ahead.
There’s an entire year ahead after all.
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