How a holiday wakeup call changed how I’m moving into 2025

Happy holidays, friends! How are you doing as 2024 winds down?

Quite frankly, I’ve felt burnt out — like blackened toast. And I know I’m not alone. While our individual challenges look different, I sense we have all been going through some stuff these past few months.

Now, you know me. I learned my lesson about taking self-care seriously. I even gave a whole TEDx Talk about the power of a good Me-Set. So I’ve been doing All the Things: energy healing, meditation, acupuncture, strict sleep protocols. I’ve said no to social activities because I already had plans: chilling out with my zen Spotify playlist.

But nothing fully recharged me. My body felt tense and full of adrenaline.

Finally, I realized what was happening — and what I needed to do about it. I want to share this epiphany because I’m betting that a lot of you are in similar situations.

Dashing Through the … Airport?

While I had kicked my addiction to busyness in my personal life, that didn’t affect where I was actually spending most of my time: work.

My self-care outside of work has value, of course. But it’s simply no match for month after month of 10- to 14-hour days every day, business trips to two or three cities a week, catching up on email at the airport, trying to grab a few winks of sleep on flights, and apologizing for being 120 seconds late to meetings because my schedule had no breathing room.

Flight #Zillion Sometime in December

December usually provides a little respite. We all love “let’s circle back after the holidays” season, right? This year, though, I have so much that needs to be done before 2025. So much for sending those “let’s circle back” emails!

Then I got a wakeup call. A friend of mine had to take an extended break from work for her mental health. Days later, one of my favorite bosses passed away. It happened just days after his retirement party and our last phone conversation.  Let me tell you, these moments got my attention. And it made me understand for the first time that my approach to my personal life could be transferred to my work life. In fact, it had to be for the sake of my sanity and happiness.

Making Spirits Bright

So, how do you slow down when work feels like you’re constantly running to catch the subway as it moves away from the platform?

Gosh, I’ll be honest. I’m still figuring that out. Here’s what has worked for me so far:

  • I reminded myself that joy is a choice. And when we choose joy, we embed it in every aspect of our life. For me, that meant the decisions I was making at home had to continue at work. I had to shift from accepting everyone’s expectations of me to setting boundaries while still achieving the necessary goal. 
  • I involved others at work. I gave a presentation citing Dr. Andrew Huberman and his joyful practices, including journaling daily. I also invited my colleagues to join me for a mindfulness exercise using LumenKind marks and shared how I used them to stay balanced. Now, others at work can join me in setting intentions and using common language when an introspective break is needed.
  • I created lapel pins that say “Realign with Joy.” Shout-out to my faithful graphic designer, Jen Duran, for helping to make these happen! Along with the pins, I gave my colleagues notes that thanked them for reminding me that joy is necessary in the workplace. I hope these pins inspire us to hold each other accountable for choosing joy daily. 
  • Finally, I set some hard boundaries around when my workday will begin and end. (There’s more to say here, but let’s put a pin in it for now and pick it up another day.) 

 

Heavenly Peace

So that’s where I am, #Firestarters. How about you? During this season, it’s all too easy to feel like everything must be done RIGHT and RIGHT AWAY.

But let’s shift the focus. Think about one of the beautiful songs we hear this time of year — the one that goes, “Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me.”

This song reminds us there are no silent moments (much less silent nights) until we choose to quiet the noise.

I hope this message gives you the permission you need this holiday season to pause for reflection, to center what’s important to you, and to recommit to what you need to be the best version of yourself in the new year. 

In that spirit, I’m doing something that’s a first for me: signing off for the last two weeks of the year, in complete silence, with the sole purpose of resting my soul.  You can find me with no makeup, wandering around Austin, zen zones, and beaches. 

When I return in 2025, I’ll have SO much to share with you about finding the energy we need to thrive every day. Until then, have a wonderful, restful, and joyous holiday. I’ll see you in 2025!

P.S. I have a gift for you! Sign up for my newsletter,  and I’ll send you your own “Realign with Joy” sticker or lapel pin.

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