Post # 43 - Rest as a Gift: How I’m Slowing Down This Holiday

Posted under: Wellness & Habits | The Full Life Edit

The holiday season often brings a rush: shopping, gatherings, cooking, deadlines, travel. For years, I thought the only way to “do the holidays right” was to keep up with it all — to say yes, to show up everywhere, to run on fumes until January.

But lately, I’ve been learning a gentler truth: rest can be the greatest gift of the season. Not just for me, but for the people I love. When I slow down, I actually have more to give — more presence, more warmth, more patience.

This year, I’m treating rest not as an afterthought, but as part of the holiday itself.

🎁 Why Rest Feels Radical in December

December has a way of convincing us to do more: more shopping, more decorating, more events, more commitments. But all that “more” can leave us depleted.

Rest, on the other hand, feels radical because it interrupts the cycle. It says:

• I don’t need to earn rest — I deserve it because I’m human.
• Slowing down doesn’t mean missing out — it means savoring more deeply.
• Peace isn’t found in perfection — it’s found in presence.

When I frame rest as a gift, it stops feeling selfish. It becomes something I give myself and those around me.

🌿 How I’m Slowing Down This Holiday

1. Protecting White Space

Instead of filling my calendar to the brim, I’m leaving open days. No plans, no obligations — just time to breathe. These unscheduled moments are where the real magic happens.

2. Simplifying Traditions

I love traditions, but I don’t need to do them all. This year, I’m choosing a handful that truly bring joy (like baking cookies and watching a favorite holiday movie) and letting the rest go.

3. Practicing “Good Enough”

The tree doesn’t have to be perfect. The house doesn’t have to sparkle. The gifts don’t have to be elaborate. By embracing “good enough,” I free myself from chasing impossible standards.

4. Building in Quiet Rituals

I’ve started making time for small, restful rituals: lighting a candle in the morning, journaling with tea, taking a walk under the holiday lights. These quiet moments anchor me.

5. Saying No Kindly

Rest requires boundaries. I’m practicing gentle no’s to invitations or tasks that would stretch me too thin. Saying no to one thing often means saying yes to my wellbeing.

✨ The Unexpected Joy of Rest

When I give myself rest during the holidays, I notice:

• I enjoy gatherings more. Instead of showing up frazzled, I arrive with energy.
• I savor small moments. A laugh, a warm drink, the glow of candles — they all feel richer.
• I connect more deeply. When I’m rested, I can listen fully and love generously.
• I carry less resentment. Instead of feeling drained by the season, I feel nourished by it.

Rest doesn’t take away from the holiday spirit — it amplifies it.

🌸 A Different Kind of Gift

We spend so much time searching for the perfect presents, but what if one of the best gifts we could give is our rested, peaceful selves?

• To family: the gift of patience instead of irritability.
• To friends: the gift of presence instead of distraction.
• To ourselves: the gift of health, clarity, and ease.

The holidays are fleeting, but rest helps me actually experience them instead of rushing past.

🌱 A Gentle Invitation

This holiday season, I invite you to see rest as part of the celebration. Light a candle. Take a nap. Leave space in your calendar. Let some things be undone.

Because when the wrapping paper is gone and the decorations come down, what remains isn’t how much we did — it’s how much we were able to be present, alive, and at peace.

💬 Tell me: How do you like to rest during the holidays? Do you have a ritual that helps you slow down? Share in the comments — I’d love to learn from your version of rest.

– M.E