Winter is in many ways the dormant season of the year. Animals are asleep in hidden places, plants are stiff and brown, and layers of snow absorb sound so the world is literally quieter.

Somehow, I’ve been feeling like I’m on a productivity roller coaster. Getting used to my day job has me feeling like I have to scramble to make the most of my pockets of free time. That isn’t a bad thing, necessarily. It’s when the unplanned parts of life catch up that I suddenly feel like I’ve bitten off way more than I can chew.

If you’re like me, moving so quickly from task to task causes you a lot of anxiety. When we assign expectations to every moment of our day, week, year, etc. we have lots more to lose. There are some tactics and tools I regularly try to incorporate in my daily life to keep me from getting overwhelmed.

carve out small daily windows of time.

I say “carve out” because usually, spare time isn't something that just shows up. We have to take a look at how we spend our time now in order to carve out more hollows of peace in the time we do have. Some good places to try to mentally slow down are during mealtimes and any time spent with loved ones. I’m often left distracted when I’ve been going all day with no time to connect with another person, so a night with my family or a drawn-out chat about work with my bestie are great times to set my phone aside. My hobbies and passion projects are unfortunately the first to go as soon as I feel busy, but that isn’t how it should be! We should all feel obliged to prioritize the things we’re passionate about. Over the weekend I had the morning to myself so I made sure I set aside time to do a new project I’ve been wanting to try! I put some chill music on and just lost myself in doing something fun.

2. TAKE PART IN A MINDFUL ACTIVITY.

It’s been obvious to me that I need to get in touch with being present. So that weekend project? I was lucky enough to have a pour candle from Siblings Candles on hand. Siblings creates luxury candles in a bag that you can pour and set yourself. While their website offers stylish vessels for the candle wax, I decided to go the DIY (and more creative, I think) route and take the time to pick out my own vessel, eventually settling on an old copper tin that once held loose-leaf tea. I simply tore open the seal and got the first scent of vanilla and cardamom wafting out. Just the scent alone had me feeling more “in the moment”. The physical action needed to create something, whether it’s a craft or DIY often slows me down and hones my focus. I removed the wick and matches from the bag and heated the bag for a few minutes until the wax was all melted. Once I had my wick set, I poured in the wax! I loved the whole process of creating something so simple and yet, my candle has a lasting impact not only on my mindfulness, but on my health and the health of the planet. Each melt-and-pour candle represents a tree planted and the pourable wax makes for a cycle of reusing and recycling instead of tossing out old candle vessels and contributing to throwaway culture. More mindfulness often means more space to choose the options that are best for me, in life and in style. Other mindful, slow activities I want to incorporate into my day-to-day are reading, painting, and alll the yoga, even if I do it for just 10 minutes at a time.

3. press pause.

Remember that it’s okay to take breaks. When I get busy, I usually forget to do totally normal things like sit down to eat or schedule time for my friends. Make sure you’re taking your lunch break at work and keep a break timer for when you’re in the middle of a study sesh. Once I’d poured my candle wax into my vessel, it was tempting to spend the hour and a half it needed to dry to try and tackle tasks on my to-do list, but instead I set a timer for the candle and took my time getting dressed and ready for the day. Once I felt I was good and ready, I came back to my candle and sprinkled in some rose petals from the petal pack. This little sachet of petals not only smelled amazing but the bag can be used to hold jewelry or trinkets. I love a multi-purpose product. I let my candle dry for a little bit longer, lit the wick and enjoyed a floral-but-substantial scent!

Taking the time to slow down ended up in (I think) several benefits for me. I felt more at peace after a morning of time dedicated to an activity whose sole purpose was to make me feel happy. I had renewed focus and felt more ready to take on the rest of my day. Plus, I have something physical to show for the extra time I took. If you take nothing else from this post, remember that it’s valid to dedicate your time to activities other than your responsibilities and commitments. Try incorporating these tips into your day-to-day, you might be needing to slow down more than you know.