Welcome to that week between Christmas and New Year when even the days of the week become a mystery. This time of year, akin to limbo, is truly special. My children’s stationary and school clothes are mostly sorted and ready for the upcoming year—well, they’ll survive with what hasn’t been sorted yet. Christmas has come and gone, and it feels as though the entire world has collectively decided to take a bit of a breather.

At times, I grapple with guilt when spending consecutive days doing nothing. I’ve grown so accustomed to perpetual busyness that embracing idleness feels inherently wrong. I constantly remind myself that rest is not only beneficial but essential. Perhaps, I should indulge in it more often.

Last Tuesday marked my final track session of the year. It involved four-hundred-meter sprints with ninety seconds of rest between each sprint. Acknowledging that I couldn’t have sustained continual sprints without those ninety seconds of rest on the track begs the question—why do I expect myself to sprint through day-to-day life without pausing until the year’s very end?

Here are the things I refuse to feel guilty about this holiday season (and intend to take a break from in 2024 more often):

• The desire to spend time alone
• Not cooking
• Taking a break from intense training
• Forgoing the effort to style my outfits
• Letting go of work-related worries
• Ignoring the cleanliness of the house
• Indulging in hours of lying in bed reading a book

Enjoy this final week of 2023, and may your 2024 be abundantly blessed.