Reflections on the end of the Year: Protecting Your Energy, Presence, and Well-being

Reflections on the end of the Year : Protecting Your Energy, Presence, and Well-being

This has been a very difficult end of year for many.

As well as the awful recent events in Sydney, many of us have dragged ourselves to the end of the year. The context of ongoing challenges to healthcare and service delivery funding, in the midst of continually increasing client demands is a hard recipe for us to manage.

As much as we may have the desire to finish the year well, mounting fatigue from months of sustained effort maybe taking its toll. Workplaces often carry a fast pace right up to the final days, and at the same time our personal lives can become crowded with expectations and commitments. This combination can stretch even the most capable people thin.

When it comes, the holiday break offers us a valuable opportunity to step back, reconnect with what matters, and shape a break that supports genuine restoration. When we take time to pause and replenish, we are more likely to return to work with clarity and with the emotional bandwidth needed for leadership, teamwork, and purposeful impact.

Why this matters

Fatigue does not simply resolve with time off. What replenishes us is deliberate recovery, boundary setting, and connection that nourishes rather than drains. Without these protective behaviours, holidays can become another source of pressure, leaving people returning to work still emotionally depleted.

A thoughtfully shaped break contributes to:

• Greater emotional capacity and responsiveness

• Reduced stress arousal and reactivity

• Renewed cognitive clarity and problem-solving

• Increased compassion and presence with colleagues, clients, and family

These are not luxuries. They are the foundations of safe practice, sound leadership, and healthy workplaces and ensure everyone returns to work restored rather than depleted.

A few gentle reminders for the weeks ahead

As you approach the end of the year, consider the small choices that can help you return with steadiness, purpose, and renewed energy. Even gentle adjustments can make a meaningful difference to how you feel, how you lead, and how you connect with the people around you.

If you are a leader or practice owner

• Encourage your teams to set realistic year-end goals.

• Promote active recovery by acknowledging fatigue and naming needs.

• Model boundary setting to normalise it for others.

• Create opportunities for debriefing and shared reflection.

• Support return-to-work plans that prioritise clarity and psychological safety.

It is also important to

• Prioritise your psychological safety. Give yourself permission to step away from pressure, comparison, and people-pleasing. Emotional safety is not indulgent; it is essential for clarity, steadiness, and effective thinking.

• Set boundaries that protect your energy. Small, respectful limits help preserve emotional bandwidth. They also signal trust in others’ capacity to manage their responsibilities.

• Nourish relationships that replenish you. Seek out the people who leave you feeling grounded, understood, and lighter.

• Choose micro-moments of rest. Restoration does not require extended holidays. Remember, small pauses, gentle stillness, or brief moments of quiet can help your nervous system settle and reset.

Consider

• What does a genuinely restorative break look like for me this year?

• Which habits or expectations am I ready to put down?

• How can I return in January feeling replenished rather than depleted?

As we move toward the end of the year, I want to express my sincere gratitude to each of you who reads these newsletters, engages with the ideas, or shares them with others.

Thank you for your commitment to your own growth and to cultivating healthier, more compassionate workplaces.

To the many wonderful clients and organisations I have had the privilege to work with during the year, thank you for your trust, support and and your willingness to invest in learning that supports sustainable thriving.

I hope you are all able to create the conditions for a genuinely restorative break, one that supports your energy, clarity, and wellbeing.

Wishing you a restorative, nourishing, and joy-filled end to the year. May you return refreshed, grounded, and ready for the opportunities that 2026 will bring.

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