Slowing Down When the Season Speeds Up

The holidays arrive every year with a familiar promise. Warm gatherings. Meaningful moments. Time with the people who matter most.

And yet for many of us, that promise gets buried under schedules, expectations, errands, and exhaustion.

If you ask people in western North Dakota what the holidays feel like, you may hear laughter followed by a sigh. Travel. Weather. Work deadlines. Family obligations. Financial pressure. The quiet fear of disappointing someone. The unspoken sense that we are rushing through what is supposed to be the most meaningful time of the year.

According to a recent study, nearly 70 percent of Americans report feeling stressed during the holidays. That number feels even more real in rural communities where responsibilities rarely pause, and winter itself demands extra energy and planning.

So what do we do when the season meant for connection becomes another source of strain?

The answer is not perfection. It is not doing more. It is not meeting every expectation placed on us by tradition or comparison.

It begins with slowing down.

Not in a dramatic way. Not by stepping away from everything. But by returning to the present moment again and again.

The truth is this. Life does not happen in the next task, the next purchase, or the next obligation. It happens right here. In this breath. In this conversation. In this ordinary moment that is quietly waiting to be noticed.

When we move too fast, we miss our own lives.

Slowing down does not mean abandoning responsibility. It means choosing what matters most and letting go of what does not. It means simplifying where we can so that we have room actually to be present.

That might look like adjusting expectations around meals, gifts, or decorations. The perfect holiday table is no more important than the people sitting around it. Presents matter far less than presence. Memories are built through shared moments, not through exhaustion.

It might mean making lists, but realistic ones. Lists that reflect the time and energy you actually have, not the version of yourself you think you should be during the holidays. Long lists can create the illusion of control while quietly increasing stress. Short, thoughtful lists create clarity and calm.

It might mean doing something non-traditional. Your traditions do not have to look like anyone else’s. You are allowed to create holidays that fit your family, your season of life, and your capacity. There is freedom in letting go of how things have always been done and choosing what works now.

It might mean asking for help. Many of us carry the belief that we should be able to do it all. That belief becomes especially heavy during the holidays. Asking for help is not a failure. It is a form of wisdom. Shared responsibility builds connection rather than resentment.

And sometimes, slowing down means pausing in the middle of the day to breathe.

When stress begins to spiral, a simple reset can bring us back to center.

Slow down.
Take a breath.
Return to this moment.

Receive what is good without rushing past it.
Accept what is hard without fighting it.

Then begin again.

This practice is not about achieving constant calm. It is about practice, not perfection. You will forget. You will hurry. You will feel overwhelmed again. That is human. Each time you notice it, you get to start over.

Even difficult moments hold value. Stress, grief, and disappointment shape resilience and character in ways comfort never can. Accepting that reality does not make hardship easy, but it does make peace possible.

The holidays do not need to be louder, fuller, or busier to be meaningful. In fact, meaning often shows up in quiet moments. A shared meal without fanfare. A conversation without distraction. A walk in the cold air. A phone call to someone who might be lonely.

This season offers an invitation.

To slow the pace.
To simplify.
To choose time over things.
To prioritize rest and sleep.
To protect your well-being.

Not everything needs to be done. Not everything needs to be perfect.

A quiet life is not an unambitious one. It is a life that values depth over noise and connection over constant motion.

As the year draws to a close and the days grow shorter, may you give yourself permission to slow down. May you notice the moments that are easy to miss. And may you find that peace is not something waiting at the end of the season, but something available right now, in the life you are already living.

You do not have to rush through the holidays.

Your life is already here.