How Intentional Rest Created Clarity for 2026
After the holidays, a nervous system reset may be the missing step between exhaustion and clarity. Every year, I used to approach the final week of December the same way.
Notebook open.
Goals half-written.
A quiet pressure to “figure out what’s next.”
But this year felt different.
Not because I planned better, but because I rested first.
The Shift I Didn’t Plan For
Over the holiday season, I gave myself something I usually ration carefully: space.
Not productivity disguised as rest.
Not reflection squeezed between obligations.
Actual space. And in that space, something unexpected happened.
My thinking slowed. My body exhaled. And clarity showed up, unforced.
That’s when I was reminded of something I see over and over in my work:
You cannot design the future from a nervous system that is still in survival mode.
The Nervous System Is an Operating System
When we’re dysregulated, everything feels urgent. Decisions feel heavy. Boundaries blur.
I didn’t realize how much noise I’d been carrying until it quieted.
Once my nervous system had a chance to reset, I could finally hear the right questions, not just the loud ones:
- What work actually feels sustainable?
- Where am I operating out of obligation instead of alignment?
- What systems am I ready to redesign, professionally and personally?
This wasn’t indulgent reflection. It was operational clarity.
Why Rest Comes Before Strategy
We’re often taught to reflect, plan, and set goals at the end of the year. But reflection without regulation distorts the data.
When your system is overloaded:
- Fatigue looks like failure
- Pressure masquerades as purpose
- “More” feels like the only option
Intentional rest gave me a clearer read on my own capacity. And with it, a clearer vision for 2026.
Not a longer to-do list. A more aligned one.
Closing the Year with Clarity
As I close out this year, I’m not asking what more can I do?
I’m asking:
- What do I want to carry forward?
- What am I ready to release?
- What version of myself am I designing my systems to support?
Clarity didn’t come from pushing harder. It came from giving my nervous system permission to reset.
And from there, direction followed.
Stay well,
Kel
Great read! I shared this with my colleagues. Sharing is caring.
Thank you for reading and sharing, Terri! I appreciate you and all you do to build up our community!