Slowing down to survive the busy ber months

Has anyone ever told you that if you want to get to your goal faster, you’ve got to slow down? It’s easy to dismiss such advice, particularly when being busy, burning the midnight oil, and getting by on little sleep are often worn as a badge of honor. But if you’ve been in the grind long enough, you know that leading such a life isn’t good for you or even the people around you. You can end up burnt out or physically ill.

So what happens when the ber months hit and the holiday cheer turns to holiday hysteria, where everything is urgent and everyone’s in a rush. As makers, creatives, and small business owners we’ve interviewed in the past will tell you, a lot of times, managing the busy months ahead means knowing when to slow down or hit pause amidst all the rush.

1. Build gentle systems that support you

When there’s so much to do, you can often find yourself running on adrenaline. Unfortunately, this can also mean running smack into chronic stress, which can cause anxiety, insomnia and other health issues. What you can do instead when the months turn busy is to create simple systems to support your work and rest.

“One of the best systems that I started doing is putting everything in the calendar, even my rest and my lunch,” shared Cat Triviño in our YouTube episode about creative burnout. The chief product and data officer of Mind Nation, a mental health service, revealed that while she didn’t like routine or structure, she also knew she needed “a method to the madness.” Though putting everything on her calendar seemed simple enough, the schedule, Cat admits, has helped her stay accountable.

Common Room’s Maan Agsalud added: “Systems are not the enemy of creativity. It’s important to keep showing up and having a system that supports your creativity.” Calendaring not just your tasks but even your breaks so you don’t skip them, or mapping out your high and low seasons so you know when to push and when to pause, can protect your creativity.

2. Practice active rest

Slowing down doesn’t always have to mean doing nothing. Sometimes it means simply shifting gears so you’re resting while staying open to inspiration. Alan Navarra, a creative director and author said that if he didn’t actively rest, he would treat every instruction or task “like this is it, this is the opportunity na, and then you’re tired every day, because you’re 100% every day.”

Active rest allows you to step back from this. Instead, as Alan has learned, “It opens yourself up to new things. I have the energy for this pala, but not this one.” It allows you to experiment, recharge, and discover new strengths without burning out.

3. Prepare early, so you can breathe later

December sales are often won months before. Popjunklove and Gouache prepare as early as the beginning of the year and mid-year, respectively, so they’re not scrambling come the holiday season. If you haven’t done that, Roma Agsunod says, “Don’t panic, just start production.”

She and Ann Enriquez-Poco of Gouache share in this episode on getting your small business back on track, share that stocking up, planning ahead, and being intentional about inventory gives you space to slow down when the orders surge. The earlier you prepare, the more present (and less panicked) you’ll be when the rush comes.

4. Choose your battles, er, your events wisely

How can you take the time to pause if you decide to join every bazaar, pop-up, or convention? “Makers have to be very mindful or deliberate when they choose their events,” says Roma when she looked back at the previous year’s lessons learned in this episode.

“If you have limited resources, you have to be smart with the conventions that you’ll join,” she adds here. Look at data, past performance, or even gut feel on whether an event is worth your limited time and resources. Sometimes slowing down means saying “no” so you can say “yes” where it truly matters to you.

5. Scale down when needed

When you start to feel overwhelmed, it’s okay to shrink your goals. In the episode where we had several makers discuss the common struggles of achieving one’s goals, Camille Santos of the Outland Creative shares that this is exactly what she did for her brand at some point when she was feeling “creatively drained."

Not every year or every holiday season needs to be about launching a new collection. Sometimes, scaling down—whether it’s fewer products, fewer events (ehem, see no. 4), or more time for yourself—can spark new energy.

6. Be kind to yourself

Yes, we’ve dispensed this advice before, but it often requires repeating. As the ber months roll on, remember you’re human just like the rest of us. You won’t always hit every target, and that’s okay.

Channel artist Elly Ang of Danger in Design who has a great outlook when it comes to work. For her, if she sets a goal and she did her best, but still didn’t reach it, there’s no guilt. Without guilt to burden you, you can focus on pause without distractions, be present without the worries. Rest, being deliberate, and kindness to yourself are just as productive as pushing hard. They make sure you’ll still have the fuel when the new year begins.