Make the Most of Your End-of-Year Pause

Rest and self-care have always been challenging concepts for me. I know I’m not alone! Between work demands, parenting, and all the other obligations we all take on (especially we women), the calendar is jam packed. It feels almost impossible to slow down.?

?That’s why I love this time of year, especially this final week as things start to wind down and the calendar clears: I can feel the pull of the pause. The frantic pace of business eases up a bit. We get to shift our focus from (stressful) spreadsheets to (festive) holiday spreads. We look forward to long days off work, spending quality time with friends and family. Everything is quieter, and I look forward to warm fires and maybe a blanket of snow.?

?Personally, I?need?this pause! 2024 has been an incredibly eventful year. I started the year in my new CEO job at Catalyst, and while it’s been an energizing experience, it has been a huge transition for me, with weekly travel to be with our staff, Supporters, and Boards. My daughter Madeleine graduated college and started her first grown-up job.? My son Will is in his final year of college, and I’m relishing time with my youngest son, Hunter, who is still in high school. I don’t want to miss the important events in their lives, and I cherish moments like the holidays when we’re all together.?

?I am sure you also have your own litany of events to list this year: some of them triumphant, some of them tragic, most of them tiring. That’s why I hope we can all take full advantage of this brief respite before 2025 sets in.?

?How To Make the Most of Your Year-end Pause

Reflect.?What isn’t working in your life??As I wrote?earlier this year, 44% of working women say they’re burned out, compared to 36% of men, according to recent data. As leaders, we have an obligation to recognize that burnout is an organizational problem and to take steps to prevent and alleviate it, which is what my original post was all about.??

?But in addition, all women (leaders or not) need to pay attention to our own mental health. Are you living in perpetual stress and heading toward burnout yourself? Even if you don’t make a big dramatic change all at once, what steps can you take in the upcoming year to create a life that’s less draining and more exciting and energizing??

?Relax and recharge.?Make time for sleep, exercise, good food, and quiet family time. And don’t focus only on how you can rejuvenate right now. Moving forward how can you build?mental wellness checks?and moments of self-care into your workday??

?Renew relationships.?Spending time with family is great, but what about the friends you’ve want to stay connected to, or reconnect with? Back in the summer I wrote about the?magic of meeting with dear college friends?in the middle of an intense work week. Over the holidays, pick up the phone and call that old friend. Better yet, make plans to meet up in the new year.?

?Release the old year…and welcome the new.?I love that cultures across the globe practice the tradition of opening doors and windows at midnight on New Years Eve. When we let go of the old year—and old disappointments, grudges, and grievances—we make room for a world of possibilities. ?Release what’s no longer working.?What can you let go of? What can you invite in??

At Catalyst, we have a lot to celebrate about 2024 and much to anticipate in 2025. I can’t wait to share some of the great projects we have in the works, like launching our new digital experience and celebrating our Catalyst Award winners on March 11 at our conference and celebration in NYC. And in the meantime, I hope you have a lovely holiday pause of your own and return to work refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to keep accelerating progress for women in the workplace. As we often say at Catalyst: Workplaces that work for women, work for everyone.