The Power of the Soft Reset: Closing the Year with Intention Not Exhaustion
Last year, December 2, 2024, was designated as The Day of Reset for Black Women — a day to center restorative rest to find our joy again. It was an intentional reminder that we’re worthy of attaining rest without constantly being pressured to be productive. It also served as an opportunity to de-center the needs of everyone else around us in order to focus on our own needs.
This approach is the opposite of the usual way that December arrives, like a whisper and a whirlwind at the same time. One moment we’re coasting through autumn, and the next we’re staring down the final dates of the year — holiday plans, unfinished goals, family expectations, and a lingering pressure to “make it all count”.
We juggle emotional labor, work deadlines, and expend energy to meet silent expectations to hold everyone else’s traditions together. We strive to finish strong, push harder, wrap everything up with a bow.
But what if we greeted December with a different approach? Perhaps, we chose to pause, breathe, reflect, and rise with intention. This December, instead of powering through the end of the year, let’s consider embracing the soft reset.
Embracing a new narrative
We have embraced the narrative that Black women must be constantly productive, fostering lasting healing, empowerment, and health.
Considering what we have faced over the past several years, such as the pandemic, illnesses, loss, the economy, the turbulence of politics, and unfriendly hiring practices targeting Black women, there are many reasons why many Black women are discouraged and disheartened about the state of our country’s future.
That’s why extending The Day of Reset for Black Women is a practical and productive alternative solution. Perhaps, it’s time for us to prioritize ways to finding rest despite the stress and anxiety that surrounds Black women.
Initiating a Soft Reset
A soft reset offers a path back to ourselves, to one another and to a more sustainable way of existing in a world that often challenges our very existence. Through these principles, we can find balance, the power to persevere, and the tools to protect our mental and physical health.
It also serves as an opportunity to de-center the needs of everyone else around us and focus on our own unapologetically.
We don’t need to scrap our lives or reinvent ourselves every December. A soft reset honors the work we’ve already done. You don’t need a “new you.” You need a nourished you.
A soft reset might look like:
Clearing emotional clutter, not your whole calendar
Choosing ease as your baseline, not a reward
Setting boundaries without apology
Letting undone things stay undone
You don’t have to become someone else to grow. You can expand who you already are.
A soft reset isn’t a reinvention. Reinvention implies that who we are needs fixing. A soft reset is different. It isn’t about changing ourselves. It’s about clearing away what we were never meant to carry.
Understanding the Importance of a Reset
A reset is about replenishing your body and mind in various ways. Consider the different types of rest: physical, mental, emotional, sensory, creative, social, and spiritual. Recognizing the type of rest you need at any given moment can lead you down the reset path.
Prioritizing different forms of rest can help you feel more centered, energized, and ready to face the demands of daily life. It replenishes your body and mind in various ways.
The reset path is closely aligned to rest. There are different ways to promote restfulness:
Learn to say no: Setting boundaries is vital for preserving your energy. Protect your time by saying no to commitments that drain you or add unnecessary stress.
Prioritize sleep: Establish a bedtime routine to ensure you’re getting quality sleep each night. Sleep is critical for both physical and mental health.
Power off during breaks: Make a habit of turning off your phone notifications during breaks. Resisting the urge to multitask and disconnecting from digital distractions allows you to fully recharge.
Keep one day sacred: Dedicate at least one day each weekend or during your time off solely for relaxation. Avoid filling this day with errands or social obligations — use it to focus on activities that nourish your soul.
Participate in uplifting activities: Incorporate calming practices like yoga, meditation, or taking walks in nature. These activities help restore your energy and reduce stress. Find the ones that bring you the most peace and make them part of your routine.
Take time off: Take time to disconnect from work without the pressure of major holidays or family events. This will give you the opportunity to truly recharge and refocus.
Connect with others: Surround yourself with supportive and uplifting individuals. Positive social connections contribute to a sense of well-being and help ease stress.
Explore different types of rest: Rest comes in many forms, from creative outlets to spiritual practices. Experiment with different ways to rest and see which works best for you.
Develop a schedule: You function easiest with a set schedule.
Embracing the Positive Feelings of a Reset
Prioritizing the power of reset can help you find balance, the power to persevere, and the tools to protect our mental and physical health. It offers a path back to yourself, to one another, and to a more sustainable way of existing in a world that often challenges our very existence.
The power of a soft reset can activate resilience which fuels our capacity to recover and thrive, despite obstacles or threats.
The December holiday season gives us the space to honor ourselves and have gratitude for how far we’ve come and what we will continue to do for ourselves and the broader community while underscoring that we deserve rest simply because we exist.
In summary, a soft reset is:
Slowing down instead of speeding up
Listening to your body instead of your calendar
Releasing what you’ve been forcing
Allowing joy without earning it
It’s creating space for who you already are, not who you think you must become.
Robin Allen is a multi-published author of women’s fiction, romance, and YA novels: It Starts With A Promise: A Novel; It’s Complicated: A Novel; The Best Thing Yet; If I Were Your Woman; Breeze and The Starters: Unexpected. As a freelance writer, she has written 40+ articles for national publications, including Hope, Digital Flourish, Essence, Today’s Black Woman, Atlanta Woman, Black Elegance, and Diversity Careers. Robin has worked as a senior-level manager in marketing, communications, and public relations for Fortune 500 and technology companies.