Goodbye Christmas

This week I am starting my Monday off by slowly taking down all the Christmas stuff. Not doing it all at once, not trying to plan and make this huge thing of it, just a little bit at a time. Past years, I have been one to leave Christmas stuff up until LITERALLY spring. Partially because Christmas is my favorite time of year and I absolutely adore everything Christmas, and partially because I just never have the energy or time to knock it out. Christmas decor also gives me strong, but weird emotions. There’s something about taking it down that always feels heavier than putting it up. It’s the end of the year, of a season, quietness after months of building up, and for some reason I always feel like I need the right energy to do it. Today I decided, I don’t need the right energy to do it… I just need to start.

But, still reminding myself I don’t need to finish the entire house in one day. Today, Wesley, and I, are knocking out the living room (Christmas tree, pillows, etc.) Even just clearing one space already makes the house feel lighter and the week feel less cluttered.

If you’ve been avoiding something small but lingering, this is your sign to just maybe TOUCH IT. Don’t have to conquer it but just start. Sometimes that’s enough to shift everything else.

This week I am trying to remind myself not every single thought is an emergency. I don’t need to solve all of my feelings. I don’t need to plan away every worry I have. Some of them just need to pass through me, without me grabbing onto them and carrying them all week.

I notice when I start feeling overwhelmed, my brain doesn’t go into fixing mode. It goes straight into panic mode. Everything suddenly feels urgent, loud, and heavy all at once. Even though nothing has actually happened yet.

When that happens, my thoughts all start stacking fast…

WHAT IF I FORGET SOMETHING
WHAT IF I FALL BEHIND
WHAT IF I CAN’T KEEP UP
AM I BEING A GOOD MOM
DID I TALK NICE TO MY KIDS TODAY
AM I EATING OKAY
AM I TAKING CARE OF THE BABY IN MY BELLY RIGHT
I WISH I WASN’T SO NAUSEOS

And none of these thoughts ever have real logic behind them, but I do feel reel anxiety. Tight chest. Shallow breathing. That constant sense of being on edge.

So, this week, I have reframed panic. I am going to try and start training my brain to use it as a signal, not a warning. It doesn’t mean something is wrong. It usually just means I need to slow things down and ground myself before making any decisions. Nothing important needs to be figured, and no conversations need to be had when I am in that state.

If you are starting the week already feeling anxious, this is your reminder that you don’t have to think you way out of it. Sometimes the best reset is pausing, taking a breath, and letting your body calm down before you mind tries to run the show.

If today already feels like a lot, try a reset that doesn’t require motivation. Sit down somewhere quiet, put your feet flat on the floor, and take a few slow breaths without trying to calm yourself down. Let your shoulders drop, unclench your jaw, and notice where you’re holding tension without judging it. It won’t fix the day, but it can bring your nervous system down just enough to make the next moment feel more manageable.

If you didn’t know I created a quick little 5-minute reset routine I have been doing and will continue doing. It’s not super profound, but for me I found it just works. It helps ground my mind in the mornings, it’s repeatable, and it starts my day off right. It’s completely free, here’s the link to it.