As the new year begins, many of us feel a mix of excitement and pressure. We’re surrounded by messages about fresh starts, lofty resolutions, and ambitious goals. But amidst this flurry of activity, it’s easy to lose sight of something essential: moments of pause. Finding stillness and calm can be transformative in a world that constantly demands our attention. This year, instead of just chasing achievements, let’s also focus on creating space to breathe, reflect, and be present.
The New Year Busyness Trap
The start of the new year often brings a surge of busyness. We set new goals, tackle fresh responsibilities, and try to make up for lost time. Social calendars fill up, work expectations rise, and before we know it, the quiet moments we crave seem elusive. This cycle can leave us feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from ourselves. Those who see us for anxiety therapy in Woodland Hills often note that they find themselves in a pattern year after year of saying they’ll rest in the new year, and then getting swept up in the “fresh starts” and goal-setting messaging. Finding pause doesn’t mean abandoning our ambitions; it means creating balance and ensuring our well-being stays a priority.
3 Ways to Find More Pause in the New Year
- Schedule Intentional Breaks:
Have you ever noticed that the things you don’t make time for don’t get done? Too often, we prioritize chores and work, and take breaks if/when there is a moment between plans. The trouble with that is that any break that isn’t intentional isn’t going to be as restful or restorative, as they deserve to be. Treat pauses like any important appointment. Whether it’s a 5-minute breathing exercise, a short walk, or a dedicated “no screens” time each day, scheduling intentional breaks helps you reset. These moments can improve focus, reduce stress, and boost overall productivity.
Scheduled breaks can be as rigid as you want them to be. For example, you might be someone who needs a window rather than an exact deadline. In that case, you might say that you will take a five-minute break to stand up and walk around your room within a certain half-hour window and set two alarms. You don’t have to get up when the first goes off, but if you make it to the second one, then it’s time. For longer commitments (and longer breaks, such as an evening at home in your PJs), you might create a system where you know you’ll take a break after x number of events, whatever that number is for you. This might mean that if you have two evening plans in a week, you have to take a night of rest and relaxation before you can go to another.
Everyone is different; it’s about how many breaks you yourself need. Do not compare your needs to the needs of others, and especially not to an idea you have from the life they present on social media or at a distance in some way. We spend too much time bullying ourselves about how little we’re doing compared to other people.
There will be times when you have the choice between taking an evening to yourself or attending a social function. If the rest of your week is jam-packed, but you really want to attend, you might have to make a choice where either answer feels at least a little bit disappointing. Can you schedule smaller breaks into your week so that you can attend the event without your social battery running out? Maybe you can, and maybe you can’t.
The more practiced you are in taking intentional breaks, the more you will learn how valuable they are. How you use that information is up to you; not everything can be perfectly orchestrated, despite our best efforts. You may find that you are over-booked a couple of times per year, and you conscientiously choose to power through. If and when these incidents are inevitable, it is up to you to ensure that they remain rare exceptions to your rule(s) about scheduled breaks.
Of course, there will still be times when you encounter a break by accident. Even if this wasn’t scheduled, you can still utilize your practice of being mindful of your rest periods to make the most of those you encounter organically. When you realize you have some unexpected free time, take a deep breath. Take another. Consider what time your next plan or obligation is scheduled for. How much time do you have? Check-in with yourself: are you hungry, thirsty, tired? Do your neck and shoulders feel tight; are your legs stiff from sitting? The answers to these questions may help you to decide how to use this break to your best advantage. Do you have time for a meal, a snack, or a nice relaxing cup of tea? Could you use a walk around the block or a stretch? Is it best for you to take some time to lay in the quiet, focus on your breathing, and meditate before your next event? When you are well-practiced in utilizing and honoring your breaks, you will know what is best for you.
- Practice Mindful Transitions:
The spaces between activities—like the drive home, the time after a meeting, or the moments before bedtime—can be opportunities to pause. Use these transitions to check in with yourself. Take a few deep breaths, notice how you’re feeling, and give yourself permission to let go of tension or worry. This can become a time when you are meditative when you blow off steam, when you consider your plans and your goals, and when you check in on your mindset. There can also be times when you take stock of your physical self: are you thirsty, hungry, or tired? Are you in any sort of pain?
Many of us have time in our day when we are transitioning from one activity to another and we are focused on either what just happened, or the next thing. Often, we find ourselves rushing through those transitions, or feeling frustrated at how long they are taking. The idea of mindfulness and patience is one that patients learn to embrace in our Woodland Hills anxiety therapy sessions. Through in-person and/or online anxiety therapy, you can learn how to utilize mindfulness in order to recenter yourself, to care for yourself, to reduce your stress, and more. For example, heavy traffic on the commute to and from work is something we encounter every day, yet sometimes we handle the time behind the wheel with more grace than other times. When you check in with yourself on your inpatient days, you may discover that you are nervous about your next event or still processing something negative that occurred at home (on the way to work) or at work (when you are on your way home).
Where in the past you might have been frustrated with the other drivers on the road, checking the time every few seconds and feeling your blood pressure rise, only to get to your destination and complain that traffic was extra slow today, mindfulness can change that. Instead, when you feel that your fuse is shorter than usual, you might ask yourself, “Is there something I am extra anxious about right now?” If you identify a stressor that awaits you, you can take that commute time to connect with your breathing, put on music that elevates your mood, or listen to a relaxing meditation. You might reassure yourself with affirmations, such as, “There is nothing I can do about that, yet, because I am not there yet.” If you are headed to work in a bad mood because of a tough morning, you might talk to yourself about everything that went right this morning, and why it won’t benefit you to take your stress to work. This isn’t a magic wand you can wave to erase your stresses, it’s a tool you can utilize in order to decrease your own anxiety.
If you’re coming back from having a holiday and feeling like you’re a step behind in everything, transition time is how you can stay grounded about what is going on and what your expectations of yourself should be. You may feel that time is getting away from you, that your scheduled events are racing by. Being conscious of your transitions allows you to separate the things you are doing in your mind so that they don’t all blur together. In this way, you recapture and make the most of the time that is going to pass anyway. Don’t be afraid to make your transitions fun! Not everything that is beneficial and helps with stress is serene and quiet. Not everything that is mindful has to be slow.
Singing along to your favorite song or having a dance party in your kitchen can boost your mood, increase serotonin, and connect you with your body. Have a good time with some of your transitions in your quest for pause in the new year. You can always balance them out with meditation, a quiet book, or a nap.
- Embrace ‘Slow Moments’:
Not every task needs to be rushed. Embrace activities that encourage you to slow down and be present. This could be cooking a meal mindfully, enjoying a hobby, or simply sitting with a cup of tea. These slow moments are not wasted time; they are essential for recharging your mind and body. Experiment; don’t pressure yourself to come up with “the best way” right away; that’s the opposite of embracing slow moments.
The best life we can live is one of balance. Balance isn’t about all-or-nothing thinking, it’s more of a mindset of making choices knowing that everything will come out in the wash in the end. When we find a balance of rest and activity, we are able to recuperate for the next adventure. When we find a balance between consuming nutrient-dense foods and eating for pleasure, we are able to give our bodies energy and also see our friends for a meal that boosts our mental health. When we exercise in order to feel good in our bodies, we are able to experience the physical and mental benefits without hurting ourselves by pushing too hard. Balance is how we experience life and embrace changes and new opportunities; we know we will make space for rest after we spend our energy, and we know we will take time for fun after we have worked hard on a project. While ideally you will have taken breaks and found a balance during the holiday season, embracing slow moments in the new year is a great way to give yourself a little more rest to be safe.
Many of our behaviors are informed by our mindset but also have a reciprocal relationship with how we feel and what we think. In this way, the more we rush, the more likely we are to tell ourselves that we “should” keep going, and that we don’t have time to pause. The same is true when we make intentional time for slower moments. The benefits of mental and physical breathing room begin to be felt by us, and soon we are finding it easier to take them, and also more necessary. So much of our hustle and bustle exists in a self-fulfilling cycle. It is once we make time to step off the train that we begin to fully recognize its value.
Extend rituals where you can; do you drink your tea or coffee in a hurry in the morning? Can you carve out a little bit of time to sit quietly and pay attention to the taste and smell of your beverage, the heat of it in the mug in your hands? How often are you able to do this? Ask yourself if it feels like it’s often enough for you. If you feel narratives rising about what you “should” be doing, take a deep breath and remind yourself that the question is, “Do I do this as often as I would like?” Let the answer be what it is. If you wish you could do it more, but it’s not possible at this time, use that question as a check-in to remind yourself to be present in the time you have.
As an anxiety counselor in Woodland Hills, I know the benefits of slowing down and making space for rest year-round. The new year can bring with it a sense of urgency in our rise-and-grind culture, but the truth is that January 1 is another day like any other. If there are changes you want to make in your life to improve your wellness and happiness, you can make them on any given day you choose, and implement them gradually and conscientiously. And those changes are better supported by you feeling balanced, feeling rested, feeling cared for, than by you burning the candle at both ends. You show up as your best self when you treat yourself the best you can. Have patience with and grace for yourself, and open your mind to what the year as a whole can bring you!
Anxiety Therapy at Embracing You Therapy
Do you often find yourself overwhelmed by worry and stress? Is maintaining a work-life balance, navigating life transitions, or setting healthy boundaries with others a challenge?
Anxiety Therapy in Woodland Hills, CA, can help. You’ll gain valuable CBT and mindfulness skills to better manage your emotions and develop healthier thought and behavior patterns that support your well-being. Contact us today for your complimentary 20-minute phone consultation with our Admin Team today!
