A Lighter December: How to Celebrate with Healthy Boundaries
- Dilek Süzal
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
This week, while getting ready for another social event, I caught myself feeling something I hadn’t expected. I was looking forward to the people, the conversations, the atmosphere and yet a part of me wished the season moved a little slower. It wasn’t the gatherings themselves that felt overwhelming, but the pace, the food, the rushing from place to place, and the constant expectation to be ‘on’.
Every year, we enter December with the intention to connect, celebrate and honour the people in our personal and professional lives. But what often happens is different. We overschedule. We overeat. We overdrink. We try to be everywhere, talk to everyone and show up for everything.
It made me ask a simple question: What if the key isn’t doing less, but doing it more lightly, intentionally and with healthy boundaries?
Problem: December Becomes Heavy Instead of Meaningful
When we try to fit everything in, by the middle of the month we feel overstimulated, tired and secretly relieved when an event gets cancelled. The season meant for presence and joy becomes a marathon we did not plan for. And when January arrives, instead of clarity, we carry exhaustion.
Solution: A Lighter December Mindset
A lighter December doesn’t mean avoiding people or saying no to everything. It means entering the month with intention instead of obligation.
What I’ve realised is that lightness comes from...
💎 Shorter stays.
💎 Lighter plates.
💎 Slower sips.
💎 Deeper conversations.
💎 Choosing presence over performance.
This season I am practicing what I preach: noticing how my body reacts. When my energy drops, I leave. When I feel full, I stop eating. When I feel overstimulated, I pause. These small choices make the entire social season more nourishing and less draining.
What This Season Teaches Us
December reveals a lot about our own ecosystem. It’s a month full of information, if we pay attention. What energises us. What overwhelms us. What kinds of conversations light us up. What kinds of environments drain us.
And this “inner noticing” is the real preparation for January. Not resolutions. Not pressure. Not perfection. Just awareness.
3 Practical Ways to Create a Lighter December
💎 Choose one intention before every event: connection, calm or curiosity.
💎 Stay only as long as your energy stays open and switch small talks for one meaningful connection.
💎 Eat and drink lightly not to overwhelm your body and sustain your energy.
These simple shifts have already changed how I move through this season. I feel lighter, clearer and more connected, not because I’m doing less, but because I’m doing it differently!
A Lighter December is the foundation for a powerful January.
And this mindful, intentional approach is exactly what we will deepen in my upcoming group coaching program Move Forward 26 where community and accountability help turn new year’s resolutions into meaningful results!
Feel free to explore my program page at your own pace and please pass it on to someone who might benefit from a supportive space to design their next steps!
For a lighter December, Dilek
Official Collaboration Partners:
★ Lead Coach at the global coaching platform BetterUp based in USA.
★ Executive Coach and Trainer at SparkUs based in Turkey and Netherlands.
★ Impact Partner for coaching, training & facilitation projects at leadership experts Think Beyond Group based in Austria.
★ Leadership Coach at Percoms AG, based in Switzerland.
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