Closing the Year Without Carrying It With You

Hi Reader,

As the year begins to wind down, many people feel a familiar contradictory mix of acceleration, slowness, and fatigue. The calendar moves faster than we can keep up with, but the body often feels stuck and tense.

This time of year has a way of showing us what we’ve been holding.

Chronic stress.
Buried tension.
A nervous system that’s been in a heightened state for too long.

Most people push through this season, and end up treating what are supposed to be joyous occasions as obligations.
But joy don’t come from pushing, it comes when we give ourselves time and space to rest and slow down and appreciate the present moment. That is also a great way to cultivate healing in the body, is it a coincidence that they are linked?

Health Is About Transitions

One of the most overlooked markers of a health is how well we transition.

From work into rest.
From stimulation into stillness.
From one season into the next.

When transitions are rushed or ignored, the body and nervous system take a hit. Muscles brace, breathing becomes shallow, poor postures lock in, and the body isn’t nourished. The nervous system remains alert, even when the environment no longer requires it.

Over time, that becomes the baseline.

Creating health isn’t just doing more of the right things or changing habits, there has to be some balance between doing the right things and helping the body let go of what it no longer needs.

What a Reset Really Does

When the nervous system is given the right nutrients of safety, presence, space, and time, it naturally recalibrates.

People often describe this as:

• Feeling lighter without knowing why

• A quieter internal dialogue

• More clarity and less urgency

• A sense of being “back in their body”

This isn’t willpower, it is biology relaxing after interference is removed.

That’s why intentional pauses can create profound shifts in a short amount of time.

Moving Into the New Year Differently

As the year closes, consider this question:

What does your body need in order to enter the next chapter more aligned than the last?

Not necessarily more motivation or stricter routines, but some kind of balance between effort and recovery. This is how to cultivate a system that feels regulated, supported, and clear.

When the brain feels safe and can recover, health becomes the default again.

With that in mind, I want to wish you a calm, grounded, and restorative holiday season and a smooth transition into the new year.

Thank you for being part of Creating Health.
I’m deeply grateful to share what I have learned with you.

Happy Holidays,
Dr. Josh

Explore more resources:
For additional insights on health and wellness, visit my YouTube channel, where I share educational videos to support your journey.

Disclaimer:
This email is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalized health decisions.