Finish the Year Rested

Hello, I’m Michelle from Opting Out, based in Brighton, UK (and sometimes London). Here I share regular posts on slow living, rest, and opting out of burnout culture, plus my weekly Weekend Mood Board of what’s currently inspiring me. Paid subscribers also get access to the Slow Reading Group (we’re currently reading “Rest is Resistance”), live Co-Resting sessions, yoga nidra audios and pre-recorded full-length restorative and yin yoga classes.

It’s my dream to create a community of misfits, questioners and resters. Are you in? ✨

Everywhere I look right now, social media is full of calls to “finish the year strong”, a rallying cry for one final push of productivity as the last 100 days of the year unfold. You can probably guess: I’m not here for that.

But it did spark a thought. What if, instead of doubling down on hustle, we made a conscious choice to prioritise rest for the final 100 days of the year?

Yes, the number is arbitrary. And no, you’re not failing if you miss a day or fall out of rhythm. But what if simply setting the intention helped you create a gentle rhythm of rest, one that shifted how you feel day to day, and maybe even how you arrive at the festive season?

Imagine finishing the year restored, not wrung out.

Think of this as the gentlest of challenges, an invitation rather than an obligation. It’s not about doing rest perfectly. It’s about noticing what happens when you allow even small pauses to take root in your days.

The invitation: choose one form of conscious rest each day for the next 100 days.

That’s it. That’s the practice.

Resting in this way may not always feel easy. It takes a certain quiet courage to set aside your tools when the world is spinning fast. But each time you do, you are reclaiming time, energy, and connection to yourself.

There’s no single right way. Some days you may crave deep stillness, other days something gentler and more creative. Try a mix of the following, or discover your own:

One note: try to keep your rest screen-free. This is about dropping into your body, not scrolling or zoning out.

Success here simply means: making space to rest.

For many of us, rest won’t happen unless it’s claimed on the calendar. So look at your week or your day and block out even ten minutes of downtime. If you truly see no space at all, that’s a signal that it may be time to gently restructure your schedule to allow at least a sliver of daily rest.

It doesn’t need to be the same each day. Some days might offer the luxury of an hour. Other days, it may be just a short pause with eyes closed, or a fifteen-minute yoga nidra. Trust that even the smallest practices accumulate.

You might also find support in resting with others - a co-resting session, a yoga nidra class, or even making a pact with a friend to hold each other accountable. I’m putting on extra co-resting sessions specially for this challenge - they will be alternating Wednesday evenings and Friday lunchtimes (UK time), so look out for details of those, coming later this week!

Rest works a little like watering a plant, it’s more nourishing in steady sips than in rare floods. A daily “homeopathic dose” of rest - just 1% of your day, or about 15 minutes — can work wonders.

By the time Christmas arrives, you might find yourself with more energy, more ease, and a deeper well of presence to draw on.

✨ Will you be joining me in finishing the year rested?

Here is a simple daily tracker you can use to keep yourself accountable: