As the year winds down, it’s so easy to let things slide. No matter what type of year you have had, it is easy to just “let things go”. Whether you feel accomplished and just need a break, or are ending the year feeling defeated, December can slip by in a blur of busyness. Because there is so much that is going on, it is very easy to go into auto-pilot mode and suddenly realize Christmas is over and the whole month passed you by.

I do truly believe that finishing the year strong isn’t about just trying to hustle or to check boxes, It’s about being intentional. The way you finish your year is so important. If we are going into the new year so burnt out that we need all of January to re-cover, that isn’t sustainable. Similarly, if we have completely fallen off track with our habits, it is going to take us much longer to regroup and get back into the swing of things. How do we find the middle ground that will allow us to be intentional and finish well? Let’s chat

Here are five ways you can end your year with grace, intention & of course, a touch of cozy:

5 ways to end your year well:

1. Pre-Plan Your Rest

During the holidays, I always try to plan some intentional rest. This is different than just having time off work or turning off my alarm, it is actually doing things that restore me. So often when we have unstructured downtime, it can lead to our habits of least resistance, like scrolling, watching tv or overeating.

Ways that I pre-plan my rest:

As someone who spends a lot of time in the digital world, a major factor for my rest is to be unplugged.

• Looking ahead to my December calendar to see what dates I want to fully be unplugged (usually I try to do December 25-31)
• Making sure I have all my work complete, emails replied to
• Pre-schedule any content that needs to go out
• Make a list of some ideas of non-tech activities I can do (puzzles, journal, crafting, etc)

Practical To-Do: Decide your rest days and plan how to make them possible (batch work, pre-schedule content, etc)

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2. Declutter Before Christmas

This one may seem like an easy thing to push off until the new year, but trust me, it will feel so much better if you can carve out even a little bit of time to clear your space. We don’t need to do an entire house deep clean, but making room for a fresh start, so that when you take down your Christmas decor, you have less clutter and more mental space.

Especially with kids, decluttering toys before the influx of holiday gifts can help you feel so much lighter heading into January! I just went through all our toys for the first time ever, and it felt so good to get rid of random excess of things we don’t need, or anything broken or missing pieces.

Practical To-Do: Grab a donation bag and do a quick run-through of your home. Focus on areas that tend to collect clutter the most (toys, bathroom products, pantry)

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3. Start Building a Cozy Winter Night Routine

When the sun sets early, it’s tempting to default to couch + snacks + scroll. Instead, make a menu of cozy evening routines that match your energy levels. I like to think of it like a little winter bucket list: candle-lit baths, puzzles, hobby nights or movie nights with hot chocolate. I don’t think you need to go *completely* screen free, but when I am doing something like watching a movie, I try to make it intentional: taking the time to light some candles, make yourself a cozy drink and ACTUALLY watch the movie, don’t just scroll while you “watch” haha.

Practical To-Do: Create a “Winter Evenings Menu” with 3-5 cozy routines you can rotate through.

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4. Revisit Your Budget

Holiday spending can spiral quickly. Trust me I am in the thick of this right now, it is so easy with all the sales to not only do your Christmas shopping, but also very easily justify “just a couple things” for yourself.

Once you have started overspending, it is easy to think “what is another $100” or “well I am already over-budget anyways” but that is where things get dangerous! Try to take time to re-visit your budget and what your actual needs are for this season.

Practical To-Do: Make a list of who you still need gifts for. Then (without scrolling social media to look at the sales!) write out anything you actually need to purchase. Stick to that list.

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5. Make Space for Reflection

If you have had *a year* you might be so ready to jump into 2026, call this year a write off and move on. However, when we jump ahead to goal setting and dreaming for the year ahead, without taking time to reflect on the year that just past, we often miss powerful moments of reflection, analyzing and joy.

My encouragement to you, whether your year has been filled with joy or been a year of hardship, is to take the time to look make, make notes on what was good, what was hard + how that impacted you.

If you are a verbal processor, you could also do this with your spouse or a close friend!

Practical To-Do: Block off an evening to journal and reflect. If you’re feeling social, plan a reflection time with a friend–go for coffee and share about your year!

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ENCOURAGEMENT:

You don’t have to reset your entire your life in December. But you can choose to close the year with intention. You can nurture habits that support your life. You can take the time to reflect on this year no matter what it looked liked for you.

🎧 More episodes + resources from Hot Mess Habits:

– We are BREAKING our phone addiction for 2026
• Analog Hobbies Roundup from Amazon Canada

• Best Hobby Products for the ADHD girly (ShopMy)

• what happened when I stopped drinking coffee on an empty stomach

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