DECEMBER 12, 2024

December feels different this year. I don’t think it’s only about the weather, either. There have been other years where October and November stayed relatively warm. I remember a few years where this area didn’t get any snow until after the new year was well underway. Nor do I think I’m simply jaded with the festivities of the season having seen Christmas decorations since before Halloween. Part of it is certainly due to my SAD, which I wrote about last month.

There’s a lot of uncertainty floating in the air. It leads to an untethered feeling. Some of that is personal, but a much of it is societal. Because I live in society (for better or worse), a lot of societal issues end up affecting me personally. With all the chaos that surrounds the holidays, it’s hard to even find the time or the peace to think clearly, but I need it. I don’t think I’m the only one who needs it either. This year, I think a lot of us could really benefit from a winter reset.

The Steps for a Winter Reset

1. Schedule Your Reset

I’m trying to make a winter reset a personal annual tradition after the holidays. Trying to do anything in the chaos before them is nearly impossible. Honestly, if I tried to do it beforehand, I might need a second reset after simply from the additional stress that it caused. It would be especially difficult to perform the first part of the reset, which is withdrawal. The world around me accommodates that far more easily in the last few days of December than during the first few weeks of the month.

2. Seek Solitude

I don’t often encourage isolation for myself or others. Humans are social creatures, and I believe the bonds of community, friendship, and family are extremely important. A winter reset is when I’ll make an exception. By this time of year, I am lucky enough to become overloaded with all of that. My cup is filled to the point of overflowing and I need space to recalibrate. This is a time I know I can do it safely and those around me are willing to oblige. It’s usually easy to lock myself away in a quiet part of the house. However, there have been years where I’ve needed more distance. One year I drove all the way to Shenandoah National Park, which was over 500 miles away. I made the drive solo, just to go stare at some mountains for a while.

3. Take Inventory

The reason that I need to be away from people and occasionally away from familiar surroundings is to take inventory. Removing distraction as much as possible lets me focus fully on myself. I can then better assess where I am and how I’m doing. I can explore my mental state and get a more objective view on whether my behaviors are aligning with my personal goals. Sometimes that answer is yes. If that’s the case, I get to congratulate myself, celebrate, and keep on going.

Other years, I’ve found that I need to make adjustments. I then will have to sit down and determine first of all whether my goals and expectations of myself are realistic. If they are, I need to ask myself why I’m not taking the steps to get where I want to be. If it’s a lack of desire, then I need to reassess why those are the goals I’ve set. If there are obstacles in my way, I need to define them, and move on to the fourth step of my winter reset plan.

4. Make a Plan

This is where I start laying out actual, actionable steps that I need to take to close the distance between where I am and where I want to be. Ideally, I’ll break it down into tasks that can be completed on a daily basis. It’s important to be realistic about how much I can do in a day, because that needs to include bad days. Being able to make progress consistently is more important for the way that my brain works than making that same progress quickly. I’ll feel proud of myself when I accomplish more than I planned. If I do less, I’m disappointed in myself. Pride keeps me motivated; disappointment does not.

5. Prepare for the New Year

This is also a good time to tend to any necessary self-care housekeeping. In my daily life, it’s so easy to get absorbed in all the demands and chaos. Signals my body sends me get drowned out or otherwise missed. This is my time to check in on how I’m feeling. Is the nutritional balance diet serving me well? Am I getting the kinds of movement that I need? When I’m in solitude, I have the chance to feel out the answers to questions like these. From there, I can make whatever changes I need to.

A Winter Reset Will Improve Your Resolve & Your Resolutions

I’ve written before about how I don’t like the sweeping resolutions that often happen around New Years Eve because they don’t work. However, I absolutely believe that habits are malleable. The crucial piece is being mindful about your behaviors and how you apply change. This is a great time of year to perform these kinds of self-assessments. I would believe that’s why resolutions became a popular tradition in the first place.

I’m looking forward to my reset this year. I hope others will also create opportunities to make space for themselves. Try not to fixate so fully on future success that you get lost or even sabotage yourself along the way. Don’t forget to watch your step.