Your December Break Left Clues. Here’s How to Use Them – Part 1.

The second week of January is when most people start coming online again from the holiday break.

You feel it in the inbox. The meetings start reappearing. The urgency slowly creeps back into the day.

And for a few days, you might still be holding onto that holiday version of yourself — the one who feels calmer, kinder, funnier… more present.

The truth is, most of us become the best version of ourselves on holiday.

Even if you stayed at home.

Because you minus stress will always be a better version.

For me, I love the way my mornings unfold without pressure to be somewhere at a certain time — without thinking about the next email I need to send or the kids extra murals. On holiday, my day feels like it belongs to me again.

Holidays bring gentler days. Even if you were working, that sense of urgency melts away and you can continue what you’re doing with a more peaceful and present mindset.

And when you need to question the day of the week… that’s when you know you’re finally relaxing.

But now you’re back. And the real question becomes:

Why should that more relaxed, kinder, more present version of you be replaced by the tightly wound, anxious version again?

By March, your December break can feel like a distant memory. So instead of letting the year slowly shape you into someone you don’t want to be…

What if you shaped the year?

The holiday mindset isn’t only about having less work.

It’s about being in a different relationship with your life.

And you can absolutely bring it back — but not through willpower alone.

You bring it back through reflection.

In other words:

Your holiday break gave you a set of clues.

Your job now is to collect the data.

STEP 1: Reflect Like a Researcher (Before You Start “Fixing” Things)

Most people go from holiday mode straight into performance mode.

They don’t pause long enough to study what changed.

But the holiday mindset isn’t accidental — it comes from shifts in:

  • your nervous system

  • your boundaries

  • your attention

  • your rhythm

  • your identity

  • your connection

  • your joy

When you understand what changed, you can recreate it on purpose.

So here are the three most important themes to reflect on first — because they lay the foundation for everything else.

1) Nervous System Data (What helped you feel calm?)

Often, the holiday mindset is simply your nervous system finally getting a break.

Reflect:

  • When did I feel most calm during my break? What was happening right before that?

  • What did my body feel like most days? (slower? lighter? less tense?)

  • What triggered stress even during the break?

  • What helped me recover quickly when I felt overwhelmed?

  • What felt safe during the holidays that doesn’t feel safe during work time?

Notice this: The calmer you felt, the clearer you were. This isn’t personality — it’s physiology.

Make it practical:

Choose one small regulation practice that you can build into your workday:

  • three deep breaths before opening your laptop

  • a 5-minute “arrival ritual” before meetings

  • 10 minutes outside at lunchtime

  • a short walk after a stressful call

  • not checking your messages as you wake up

  • asking: “What would calm look like right now?”

Your nervous system doesn’t need a full holiday to reset. It needs micro moments of safety.

2) Boundaries Data (What did you naturally stop doing?)

Sometimes the holiday mindset comes from what you removed, not what you added.

Reflect:

  • What did I say “no” to naturally?

  • What didn’t I do… that I usually do out of habit?

  • What expectations did I drop?

  • What pressure was removed?

  • What boundaries were easier to hold — and why?

Notice this: You didn’t “lose yourself” during the year. You lost your boundaries.

Make it practical:

Choose one boundary that happened naturally over your break and recreate it on purpose:

  • no emails before 9am

  • no WhatsApps after 7pm

  • a meeting-free morning once a week

  • saying no to one non-essential thing per week

  • leaving work on time one day a week

  • a “closed door” hour for focused work

Boundaries aren’t selfish. They’re maintenance.

And the holiday mindset often isn’t about doing more nourishing things — it’s about doing fewer draining things.

3) Attention + Energy Data (What fueled you… and what drained you?)

Holidays often feel spacious because your attention isn’t constantly being pulled.

Reflect:

  • What gave me energy?

  • What drained me?

  • What did I consume less of? (emails, news, social media)

  • What did I consume more of? (sunshine, movement, books, quiet)

  • What created a sense of space in my mind?

Notice this: You can’t keep feeling spacious if your attention is being stolen all day.

Make it practical:

Do a simple 1:1 swap this week:

  • Replace checking emails first thing with a slow coffee and one intention

  • Replace scrolling in bed with reading a book

  • Replace multitasking with 20 minutes of single-tasking

  • Replace constant availability with one hour of focused work

  • Replace doomscrolling with music, movement, or quiet

The holiday mindset isn’t only about what you did. It’s about what you stopped doing.

Before You Move On… Pick ONE Thing

To bring the holiday mindset back, don’t try to do everything.

Pick one small change from the reflection.

One thing that supports your nervous system. One boundary that makes you feel more human. One attention shift that creates space.

Start there.

Because it’s not about replicating holiday life. It’s about replicating holiday energy.

To be continued…

In Part Two, we’ll explore the rest of the data — the pieces that make the holiday mindset feel like you again:

  • identity (who you were when you weren’t performing)

  • rhythm + routine (why holidays feel calm before you even wake up)

  • joy (yes, joy is data too)

  • connection (because humans are not designed to do life alone)

  • and a simple weekly framework to bring all of it into the year without overwhelm

Here's to holiday you,

Warm wishes,

Lori

Lori Milner