A Holiday Note to Self (and Anyone Still Checking Their Inbox)
Learning to slow down without making it a project
One of the side effects of being an immigrant in Canada is that I still don’t know all the holidays by heart. I know Christmas (and my own birthday), but Family Day, Victoria Day, and some of the others usually come as a surprise. In the early years, there have been days where I opened my laptop to check my inbox, only to realize the country has quietly agreed to stop working. That’s ok, I’m happy to adapt and take an extra day off now and then.
A while ago, on one of these “holidays”, I received an email from a potential client, letting me know they didn’t need my help on their author journey. That’s ok, what I teach is not for everyone. But if you email me on a holiday to explain that you don’t need any help, you probably could use some assistance to work on what matters most.
Dear future client, holidays are not the time to demonstrate how independent and self-sufficient you are. Your timing tells a different story.
This Year Was… a Lot
I’m tired. Not burned out in a dramatic way, just tired in the slow, accumulated sense. That’s not a complaint, just an observation. Vancouver days are short this time of year, and the last few weeks it’s been dark when I started and finished work. Add to that everything else I want to do in a day, and you end up with the kind of fatigue you don’t notice while you’re moving, only when things finally ease up a little. Hello, Christmas vacation.1
Relaxing is not something I’m naturally good at. My default mode is forward motion. Keep going. One more thing. One more idea. One more story for my blog. This holiday season feels like a gentle reminder that rest isn’t a reward for finishing everything. It’s a proactive part of the process.
Recharge Before You Hit Zero
The opposite of love is indifference. That applies to how we treat ourselves as well. Do you care enough about your own well-being to pause, or keep going simply because that’s what you’re used to?
Most of us don’t let our phone drain itself to zero without plugging it in. Yet somehow we treat ourselves with less care. The holidays are a decent excuse to interrupt that pattern. At least I’m going to try. Turn the phone off for a bit. Let things wait. Create some space between myself and whatever feels urgent. I like the idea of “Hawaiianizing” your mind when stress shows up.2 Finding some warmth and distance for a few minutes may bring fewer sharp edges.
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”
Rest doesn’t need to be earned and it doesn’t need to be optimized. Sometimes it’s just choosing not to push when no one is actually asking you to.
From my corner of the world to yours
If you can, step outside at night sometime over the holidays, maybe Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve. You may not see stars as there’s a lot of light pollution where many of us live, but that’s not really the point. There’s something grounding about feeling cold air and a night sky that asks nothing of you. Maybe the world around you has quieted down a little bit. Just a small reminder that you’re here, alive, and allowed to exist without producing anything for a moment.
Wherever you’re reading this from, I hope the season brings rest, good memories, and space to dream about what’s ahead. And if travel is part of that picture, I hope it’s the kind that leaves you richer in experiences, not just miles. Wishing you a happy holiday season, and a new year filled with curiosity and meaningful experiences.
From my corner of the world to yours: Merry Christmas 🎄
*slams laptop shut for the holidays*
Please do hesitate to reach out to me the rest of the year. 🎅 😉
Further reading
These posts are often notes to myself, and this one is no different.
Bruno Mars said “Hawaii is paradise. It sounds cheesy to say it, but there’s music in the air there”. Story here.