A calm way to return to your business rhythm
The days between finishing for business before Christmas and starting again in the New Year are strange.
Time stretches in odd directions. Emails slow to a polite trickle. Your brain is technically awake, but not especially interested in contributing. You might open your laptop, stare at it for a moment, and then wonder why you’ve chosen this particular form of self-sabotage.
This is the part of the year where people start saying things like “I should probably get back into it,” while their nervous system would strongly prefer leftovers, a nap, and no follow-up questions.
If that’s you, you’re not behind. You’re in the pause.
This isn’t the moment for big plans
There’s a subtle pressure that shows up right now. The sense that you should be using this time wisely, planning ahead, or setting yourself up for a strong start. It’s usually accompanied by a vague feeling of guilt and a half-open notes app titled “January Ideas.”
The problem is that forcing momentum too early rarely works. When your energy is low and your attention is scattered, big plans don’t feel exciting. They feel irritating. You don’t need a reset at this point. You need a way back in that doesn’t make you want to close the tab and lie down.
Returning to your business works better when you treat it like easing into cold water. No dramatic dives. No proving anything to anyone. A gradual re-entry where you retain your dignity.
Rhythm is different to routine
Routine is rigid. Rhythm pays attention.
Routine tells you what time you should be at your desk and what you should be doing when you get there. Rhythm notices that today you have about 40% of your usual brain capacity and plans accordingly.
A calm return doesn’t begin with your to-do list. It starts with asking what feels possible without negotiation. That might look like opening one document instead of ten, tidying a folder that has been annoying you for months, or rereading notes you already wrote instead of creating something new from scratch.
Small actions are how rhythm comes back online. They count, even when they don’t look impressive.
What I do before I properly “start” again
I don’t jump straight into work mode after Christmas. I wander back like someone who left the room mid-conversation and is trying to remember where they were up to.
I look at what’s unfinished without making it mean anything about me. I notice what still feels relevant and what I’m quietly relieved to let go of. I give myself a few days where the goal is orientation, not output.
This usually involves doing something mildly practical and mildly comforting, like organising files, updating notes, or mapping ideas I already know I want to explore (or simply sitting down to draw or doodle weird-looking flowers).. It helps my brain feel situated again without demanding performance or enthusiasm on command.
Once that sense of orientation returns, momentum follows. It always does, even if it takes a moment to show up.
You don’t need to be ready all at once
One of the most helpful things you can do this week is stop asking yourself to feel “back” before you actually are.
You’re allowed to return in stages. Some days you’ll feel curious and engaged. Other days, you’ll wonder why email exists. Both are part of the process.
A calm rhythm builds itself when you stop rushing it and let it take shape.
The Pretty Way back in
Returning to your business doesn’t have to involve a dramatic reset or a decisive declaration. It can be quiet. It can be unremarkable. It can be led by listening rather than pushing.
If you’re in that in-between space right now, this is your permission slip to move slowly. Your ideas haven’t vanished. Your capability hasn’t gone anywhere. You’re finding your rhythm again.
That isn’t a delay. It’s how this part works.
If you want support building rhythms that actually fit your energy, this is the kind of work we explore inside The Dotty Duo. You’re also welcome to join my newsletter for quieter conversations like this, delivered without urgency or noise.
There’s no rush. You can wander back when you’re ready.
