5 steps to take to invite in a season of slowness
written by Jasmine Irven
The end of the year can be a hectic time, even if most of it is self-imposed. Trying to finish up projects before the new year, holiday shopping, and numerous invites and get-togethers (including those you don’t necessarily want to go to but feel obligated to).
In the midst of that chaos the real purpose and intention of the season can be lost. We can seemingly bypass the entire month of December in our minds in preparation for the new year which seems to hold the promise and opportunity of a fresh slate on which we can start everything we didn’t get to this year, as if none of the obstacles that held us back or took up our time this year will exist.
While I too love the illusion that is the new year and agree there is just something about seeing January in my day planner that gets me excited to make new goals and promises to myself, I also like to advocate for the concept that waiting until a new week/ month/ year is unnecessary, and that every day is an opportunity for reflection and reset.
So why bypass this entire month? Instead, let’s try to use it as an opportunity to slow down and reflect, in preparation for the new year.
We can do this in a number of ways. Here are 5 ways to invite in a season of slowness:
set an intention (decide what slowness means to you)
The concept of slowness (like most things) means something different to everyone. For me, it looks like taking time off from any obligations. It means being able to wake up each day on my own clock, not having any obligations and instead being able to make decisions based on what I feel like that day.
A lot of my ideas of slowness revolve around solitude, because that’s something I often crave. But yours might mean spending undivided time with people you love.
Give yourself the space and time to really ask yourself what your goal of giving yourself this slowness is.
Where have you been spending your time recently that’s made you feel like you need to slow down?
Where would it feel good to put more energy? How can you do so in a way that’s not overwhelming but instead slow - meaning you can enjoy it fully.
From these questions, you should be able to narrow down an intention for this season. Remember that an intention isn’t something super specific for you to achieve - instead it’s simply an indication of where you want to put more of your energy.
For example, my intention for December is to give myself some time off from client work and other obligations that tie me to my phone, so I can rejuvenate in preparation from the new year. I intend to pour into myself more fully so I can serve everyone better in the new year. I intend to create more than I consume, and to invite in flexibility - allowing myself to live as many days as I can according to my intuition rather than a rigid schedule.
set boundaries
Based on your intention, set boundaries that will best serve this intention. If your intention is to spend more time in solitude, set clear boundaries around what that will look like:
Are there certain hours of the day you can make solely your own? How can you do this?
Can you make certain commitments to only do things if they feel like a “hell yes”? Can you give yourself permission to say no more?
Can you shut off your phone or turn it on do not disturb for extended hours during this season?
If your intention is simply to disconnect from work, how can you make that happen?
Can you notify your boss, your team, or your clients that you will be unavailable for certain hours of the day?
If you normally answer your phone at all hours, can you direct people to simply email you, and extend your turnaround time?
Can you hand off certain projects for the time being?
Make these boundaries clear, and consider sharing them with multiple people who can hold you accountable so you ensure you stick to them.
disconnect
Disconnecting is often one way to set boundaries, but it goes further than that. Disconnecting from social media, email and other forms of consumption is one of the main ways I can create success for myself in seasons of slowness.
When you are constantly consuming what others are doing, it’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind. When you’re constantly connected and see others hitting their goals, or living extravagantly, it’s easy to feel like you’re doing something wrong, or there’s something else you should be doing.
Constant consumption is overwhelming and can hinder your ability to tap into your intuition - what you’re meant to be doing in this moment or season.
Remind yourself that sometimes the most productive thing you can do is rest.
Remind yourself that your self, work, life, and relationships will be better off when you return from this break.
Remind yourself that you are a human being not a human doing.
Remind yourself that your worth is not determined by how much you do or accomplish.
your worth is not determined by how much you do or accomplish
Disconnecting simply makes these reminders easier to remember.
Can you turn off notifications on your phone or computer?
Can you delete apps from your phone?
Can you unsubscribe from emails that make you feel bad or less than?
Can you unfollow people who are going to make this season harder for you? (You can always follow them again later!)
Can you set certain periods of time to check your email, and only check it during those times?
Can you do a full social media detox?
The form or level of disconnection you decide to implement is completely up to you. It’s simply about recognizing where you know you often fall into comparison or consumption traps, and giving yourself the opportunity to get ahead of them.
P.s. we have a full blog post on digital wellbeing that might help you if you need a little extra support in this area!
create space to reflect + create
Once you’ve set boundaries and guidelines for disconnection, I hope that you have additional space in your day. If you need a little more help with this, you might want to check out this blog post.
From the blog:
Creating space can be a difficult task in our often over scheduled and hectic lives. It often seems as if our lives and our minds are already so full there’s often no space to just be. No space to bring in anything new - even if that newness is genuinely what we need to thrive.
Essentially, you want to invite in time to focus on reflection and creation, without having any expectations of what that will look like.
This is important especially as we invite in the new year, because if we really want to invite newness and beautiful opportunities that better serve us in January, we need to understand what worked and what didn’t this year.
We need to evaluate where we spent a lot of our time and how that felt.
We need to look at lessons learned so we can bring them into the new year.
We need to give ourselves the time to really get honest with ourselves: what worked, what didn’t, and where we want to spend more time next year.
I say create space to reflect and create because simply sitting and thinking about these questions often isn’t enough to fully implement them. Journaling or creating as forms of expression can help you to really tap into your intuition, instead of these ideas staying stuck in your mind.
Let the ideas and insights flow!
make a “could do” list
I don’t know if this is a completely original concept (if it is someone tell me so I can trademark it lol) but to me, a could do list is a spin-off of the traditional to-do list.
Whereas a to-do list describes things that often “need” to get done, have deadlines, or expectations associated with them, a could-do list is simply a list of things that (you guessed it) you could do.
You don’t have to do them.
They don’t have deadlines.
There are no expectations about the end result.
They don’t have other people waiting on them.
They are things that you enjoy doing. Things that you wish you could spend more time on. Hobbies or projects that are often in the back of your mind but that you don’t give enough energy too (or at least as much energy as you’d like to).
These lists will be extremely individual, but here are a few ideas:
Creative projects - drawing, painting, scrapbooking
Self-care - cooking a nourishing meal, drinking water, watching TV, taking a bath
Spiritual work - meditating, practising yoga, journaling
Intellectual endeavours - learning a new skill, reading a book, building something, taking a course
Time spent enjoying simple pleasures - watching the sunset or sunrise, sipping your coffee or tea slowly, opening the windows, sitting on your balcony, sleeping in
Hobbies - playing an instrument or sport
Movement - going on a walk, dancing, taking a group fitness class
Cleaning - organization or cleaning projects
Each day in your season of slowness, see if you feel like indulging in any of the items on your list!
Lean into your intuition and ask yourself what you feel like doing that day (if anything).
Remember, none of these are things that have to get done, but things that might give you a little extra boost of energy if you do them.
final thoughts
What will this season of slowness look like for you? I’d love to know! Share in the comments so we can all get inspired. ✨
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about the author
Hey there! I’m Jasmine, founder of the Sustainable Bliss Collective, a Certified Meditation Teacher, and lover of all things self-care, slow-living, and personal development.
I believe that ambition and self-care can coexist, and as such I hope to encourage and inspire you to take care of yourself, breathe deeply, connect with who you are, manifest your dreams, enjoy the blissful moments of each day, and make an impact in this beautiful world we call home.
Connect with me on Instagram here!
