End of December Top 5 Tips to Survive Through to the New Year.

As people who work in health care, and dedicated users of the Helium app, the end of December can feel like a whirlwind of obligations and expectations.

December brings a unique mix of challenges. Shorter days and unpredictable weather can affect mood and energy. Financial pressures can rise at this time of year; needs for the winter months, year-end expenses, and rising costs of celebrations add up!

These issues are added to the accumulated fatigue from months of work and life stress and can feel overwhelming. Here is our top 5 list to get you through to the end of December.

1. Decluttering Your Brain

How many people feel like they are "crawling" to the end of year? Does anyone else feel like their brain wants to go into shut down mode? Ask yourself what you can get rid of? Maybe it is putting away your phone? Maybe it is slowing down what you are doing rather than trying to do everything at a "treadmill" speed? Pick the top two things on your list, and celebrate those small victories rather than convincing yourself that more is better.

2. Planning for Next Year

Although it's common to strategize for the upcoming year, the pressure to make detailed plans before December ends and commit to new resolutions can add stress to our already stress filled days. It's ok to let that go. We can add and remove things that help us any time of the year A.K.A resolutions. There is nothing magical about January 1st. If you find yourself overwhelmed, you might allow your ideas for the new year to evolve organically, and approach planning with a more relaxed mindset.

3. Relaxing or re-considering the "shoulds"

Canada is a diverse country. We have community members from different religious backgrounds, cultures, and who have diverse traditions. What this means is this time of year can look different for different people. What we might have in common is the pressure we put on ourselves to try to do everything on our "to do list". We don't always take a step back and ask ourselves what the most important or meaningful aspects are for ourselves and our families. It could also be that financial pressures, or losses, are leading to a need to change what we have done in the past. Ask yourself - what do you want to conserve? What do you need? What does this time of year mean for you and the people in your life? Give yourself permission to be flexible.

4. Attending Every Event

Has anyone noticed that this tends to be a time of gatherings? On the radio today (HOT 89.9) they reported that the top activity people wanted to do on New Year's Eve was to sit on their couch and stream media content. What does this say about us? We are "Exhauster-whelm-ulated: The feeling of being exhausted, overwhelmed and overstimulated all at once (posted on tinybuddha.com).! Give yourself permission to select just a few events you genuinely want to attend. Prioritize quality over quantity in your interactions. Remember that it's perfectly acceptable to carve out time for yourself.

5. Embracing Self-Compassion

As we draw near the end of December, let’s embrace self-compassion. The pressure to conform whether its FOMO, societal pressure, advertising, and/or other people's demands, can result in us feeling inadequate and overwhelmed. Ask yourself if it’s okay to let go of the things that do not serve you.

When you prioritize your well-being and practice self-kindness, you pave the way for a healthier, more fulfilled new year. We can be kind to ourselves as well as others. Everyone deserves a break from the frenzied expectations of this time.

Sending our gratitude to those who work in health care; who heal, care, and support their community. We wish you moments of laughter, connection, rest, and lots of caffeine.

Kerri and Caroline