6 min read
We're in it now. That strange stretch of days between mid-December and January where time works differently, routines disappear, and everything feels both slow and urgent at the same time. Offices are closing. Schools are out. Some of you are traveling, some of you are hosting, some of you are doing neither and just trying to figure out what to do with yourself.
And here's what I want to say before we go any further: the holidays aren't a Hallmark movie for everyone.
Your house might be about to get full and loud and chaotic. Or it might be quieter than you'd like, and that's hard. You might be dreading certain gatherings, grieving someone who won't be there, or just finding the whole "most wonderful time of the year" thing exhausting to perform.
All of that is real. And none of it means you're doing the holidays wrong.
This post isn't about making it magical. It's about making it through. Whatever "it" looks like for you.
Food: Keep It Simple, Whatever Your Situation
If your house is full of people right now (kids home, family visiting, everyone in your kitchen), you already know what's coming. The fridge door will open approximately 847 times a day. Someone will stand in front of the pantry and announce there's "nothing to eat" while staring at fourteen different options.
The trick isn't meal planning. It's stocking the kind of food that doesn't require you to be involved.
Eggs, cheese, bread, frozen fruit, yogurt, deli meat, a roasted chicken from the grocery store. Things people can assemble without asking you questions. Things that don't require you to answer "what's for lunch?" seventeen times before noon.
Give yourself permission to have one real meal a day. If dinner is covered, breakfast and lunch can be a free-for-all. Or flip it: make a big brunch and let everyone graze later. Not every meal between now and January needs to be an event.
If there are teenagers or adults in your house, you are not legally required to be the cruise director of every single meal. Point them toward the fridge. They'll figure it out.
And if it's just you? The same rules apply, honestly. You don't have to cook elaborate meals for one. Eggs for dinner is fine. A bowl of cereal at 4 p.m. is fine. Eating leftovers cold straight from the container is fine. No one is grading you on this.
The goal is getting fed without adding more stress to your plate (pun intended).
Movement: It Doesn't Have to Look Like Your Usual Routine
Saturday is the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Here in Canada, that means roughly 8 hours and 55 minutes of daylight, with the sun setting before 4:45 p.m. If you've been feeling like a tired slug who can barely function after 3 p.m., this is not a personal failing. It's December. Research shows that reduced daylight genuinely affects energy, mood, and motivation. It's not just in your head.
But here's what I love about the solstice: after the 21st, every single day gets a little bit longer. We gain about a minute of daylight each day, sometimes two. By mid-January, you'll actually notice the difference. We just have to get through the next couple of weeks first.
Your regular routine might be harder to maintain right now, and that's okay. But getting in some movement will actually help you manage the stress of this time. It doesn't have to look like your usual workout.
What actually works this time of year:
Stretching on the floor while something plays on TV. A 10-minute YouTube workout in your living room (there are thousands of them, pick one at random and commit). Dancing in your kitchen while you cook or reheat something, which absolutely counts as movement even if it doesn't feel official. One short walk outside, bundled up, just to prove to your body that the outdoors still exists.
This can also be a bonding opportunity. Join in on whatever the people around you are doing. Go for a walk with a family member. Try a group fitness class together (most studios offer drop-ins and all levels are welcome this time of year). Go skating, tobogganing, or just throw a ball around outside. These aren't just workouts. They're potential memories.
And here's one that sounds like nothing but genuinely helps: lie down with your legs up on the couch or the wall for 5-10 minutes. It helps blood flow back toward your heart, calms your nervous system, and can shift your entire mood when you're running on empty. It's not lazy. It's physiology.
The goal isn't a perfect fitness routine. It's reminding your body that it still exists and still wants to move, just maybe not in the same way it did in June.
Mindset: You Don't Have to Perform the Holidays
December has this aggressive energy about it. Be grateful! Make memories! Cherish every moment! Finish your goals! Reflect on the year! Set intentions for the new one!
Meanwhile, you're just trying to get through the day.
The pressure to feel a certain way during the holidays is real, and it can make things harder for people who are already struggling. Grief doesn't take a break for Christmas. Loneliness can feel sharper when everyone around you seems to be surrounded by people. Family gatherings aren't warm and fuzzy for everyone. Financial stress doesn't pause because it's supposed to be festive.
If the holidays are hard for you, I want you to know: you're not broken. You're not ungrateful. You're just a human having a human experience that doesn't match the greeting card version.
You don't have to love this time of year. You don't have to pretend to. You just have to get through it in whatever way works for you. That might mean skipping things. It might mean creating new traditions that actually feel good. It might mean lowering your expectations to basically zero and being pleasantly surprised if anything nice happens.
All of that is allowed.
The Work Limbo Is Real Too
There's also this specific kind of frustration that happens right now: the professional limbo. Offices are closed or running on skeleton crews. You're waiting on someone who's out until January 3rd. You want to move forward on something but the timing won't cooperate. Decisions are hanging in the air with no one available to make them.
If you're someone who likes to get things done (hello, same), this can feel maddening.
But try this reframe: the forced pause is a gift you wouldn't have given yourself. You get to put it down. Not because you quit, but because the world did. Everyone did. The thing will still be there in January, and you might actually come back to it with more clarity after some space.
Let the delay feel like a buffer instead of a roadblock.
The Actual Goal for This Stretch
Get through it. However that looks for you.
If your house is full, survive the chaos. If it's quiet, be gentle with yourself. If you're traveling, pace yourself. If you're staying put, give yourself permission to do very little.
Move your body in whatever small way feels possible. Eat food that's easy. Rest when you can, even if it's just legs-up-the-wall for ten minutes.
And let go of the idea that December 31st is some kind of deadline for becoming a better version of yourself. It's just a day. January 1st is also just a day. You don't have to have a word or a resolution or a plan. You're allowed to start 2026 exactly as you are: a little tired, a little overwhelmed, and just trying to make it through.
That's enough. Truly.
The new year will come whether you're ready or not. You don't have to perform readiness. You don't have to perform anything.
What's getting you through this stretch? I'd genuinely love to know. Reply to my newsletter or leave a comment. And if you need a reset, my Relaxation with Serotonin meditation is a solid 13-minute pause when everything feels like too much.
More practical strategies for real life at svliving.com.
