Slowing Down to Speed Up: Recharging During the Holiday Season

Alex Greenwood
5 min readDec 8, 2023

As the December chill ushers in a festive ambiance, there’s a palpable shift in the air — the end of the year beckons, urging us to slow down and recharge. For many professionals, including writers, PR pros and marketers, this season offers a unique opportunity to step back, reflect, and rejuvenate.

Image co-designed with the assistance of OpenAI’s DALL-E, facilitated by ChatGPT. Copyright © 2023 by Alex Greenwood. All rights reserved.

As January marks my 14th year as a PR and marketing consultant, I’ve noticed my business cycle often slows down (with a few stray exceptions ) towards the end of the fourth quarter — the holiday season in much of the Western world. Initially, the slowdown wasn’t by choice, and it was often financially challenging.

Now, I’ve come to not only accept but also cherish and protect this quieter time. It’s an opportunity to rest, recharge, wrap up ongoing projects, and strategize for the new year. Let’s explore why you might want to consider doing the same, if possible.

The Art of Slowing Down

In our constant rush to meet deadlines and hit targets, we sometimes lose sight of the fact that productivity isn’t about pushing ourselves nonstop — it’s more like interval training, where rest periods are…

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Alex Greenwood

PR Consultant, Speaker, Podcast Producer/Host, Editor, and Award-Winning Writer of the John Pilate Mystery Series. Accomplished belly laugher.