January has its own kind of energy. All at the same time, it can have a sense of inspiration for possibilities, a sense of pressure to change.it.all.now, plus there’s the natural part of us that just wants to hibernate. Sounding familiar? I’ve got some gentle ways to smooth the way for sensitive souls.
I’m the kinda person that hates pressure, which is common for sensitive souls, including introverts. So that go-go pressure part can make January into a waste of push-pull friction if I’m not careful.
I’ve discovered 4 simple ways to make January feel better for us sensitive souls:
1) Choose an inspiring word of the year.
Choosing my word (or phrase) of the year is a simple way to give me a calming North Star for the year. Something to draw me forward instead of pressuring me like resolutions do. (Did I mention I don’t like pressure?)
Here’s my quick system to find my Word of the Year.
2) Adjust your calendar for more breathing room.
For me, January is a great time to review my calendar to make sure I build in time off, as well as breathing room in each day.
I keep spacious room in my calendar so I don’t get stuck in the rushed feeling, which is no good for me or those around me. I’ve mostly done this for this year, but I still need to keep an eye on it to make sure I don’t give away my free blocks. Free time has a way of being slippery.
Calendar care might be one of the most important self-care needs for introverts and highly sensitive people. We have wonderful gifts but we need to take care of them with breathing room too.
I have a colleague who color codes the self-care blocks in her calendar in green and calls it “greenspace.” It includes taking breaks, taking a walk with a friend, appointments for her well-being, or the like. She says it makes looking at her calendar feel more relaxing when she sees all the greenspace. I’m going to try this. Color signals are surprisingly supportive.
3) Clear off your desk / work space.
Uncluttered space is huge for me. As a highly sensitive person, clutter adds too much static for my vigilant brain. Clear space = clearer mind for me.
Sadly, I still don’t tend to clear my desk as often as I would like. My intention is to clear it at the end of each week, hmm, like today. But I’m going to shoot for at least a clean start in January and to recommit to that weekly plan. Wish me luck. How about you?
4) Consider a gentle antidote to stalling out.
January is when many of us say things like:
“This year, I’ll really move ahead on that career change / business goal / etc.”
And then quickly comes the defeated thought:
“but I tend to start and then stop and not really get anywhere.”
You’re NOT broken or bad if start-stop is happening, or if you worry about even starting if you might not continue. This worry about being a “quitter” is one of the biggest things I see getting in the way.
First of all, ebbs and flow are OK and part of life. Let it be OK.
But actually stalling out – like lost momentum, lost focus, or lost confidence – is different, AND it can be fairly simple to resolve:
The Start-Stop Cycle on Your Livelihood Goals: A Gentle Approach
