The week between Christmas and the start of a new year often feels different to me. The holidays are behind us, but the new year hasn’t yet arrived. Over the years, I've come to appreciate and look forward to this in-between week because it is a quieter stretch of time that gives me a chance to recover from the hustle and bustle of the season and catch my breath before life picks up again.

What does the time of year feel like for you? Are you feeling tired? Relieved?

However you're feeling, the truth is that the week right before the start of a new year presents all of us with an opportunity to create a sense of completion by getting a few things off our plates. It can be a good week to wrap up loose ends — returning messages, closing tabs (literal and mental), and finishing small tasks that we didn’t quite have a chance to get to before the holidays.

It’s also a week to take care of ourselves in simple, practical ways like:

  • getting back into a routine
  • eating healthy, nourishing meals again
  • moving our body gently
  • giving ourselves time to reset after a full and emotionally layered season

This Week’s Practice: Clear, Settle, Recover

This week at This Life is Good, as we close out the autumn season and its theme of Goodness and Gratitude, we're setting the stage for closure — of the year and all that came with it — good, bad, and everything in between.

I invite you to try this simple three-part practice at any point during the week. You can take it step by step; you don’t need to do it all at once.

Step 1. Clear (10–20 minutes)

Choose one small area to clear — physical or digital.

  • Your email inbox (just the easy wins)
  • A surface in your home
  • Open browser tabs
  • Notes, lists, or reminders you no longer need

The goal isn’t perfection, so stop when you notice a small sense of relief.

Step 2. Settle

Do one thing that helps your body and nervous system settle back into rhythm.

  • Eat a simple, nourishing meal
  • Go for a gentle walk
  • Stretch
  • Go to bed a little earlier
  • Drink more water than usual

Let your body know the season of intensity has passed.

Step 3. Recover

Ask yourself this question (you can journal if it helps):

What would help me feel more rested by the end of this week?

Then do one small thing in response.

That’s it.

For this week, free yourself of the need to create resolutions and goals. Instead, focus on clearing what’s complete, settling your system, and giving yourself space to recover.

May this be a week of clearing, settling, and recovering, so you can step into the new year feeling a little lighter and more ready to embark on the journeys the new year will bring.

Till next time,
Be well ❤️

Founder, This Life is Good