I hope that today is a good day to find a little space for yourself with movement, meditation, or something else that makes you happy.
I don’t have a lot of advice today but I do have a question:
What kinds of small things can you do over the next few days to either feel more restful in the moment OR to help yourself start the new year with more ease?
Please don’t put a lot of pressure on yourself to figure this out!
But if you can think of a few things that will make life a bit easier for future you, please try to do them.
Anyway, Team, no matter what you are doing today or what you have planned for the next week, I wish you ease and peace of mind and as much space as you need.
And with that, let’s get into our suggested practices for today:
Since this is Boxing Day, I had decided to post a boxing workout and a box breathing meditation. Boxing Day has nothing to do with the sport of boxing (nor about breathing practices) but I do like a tangential theme!
Then, on a less tangential matter, I realized that today is also the first day of Kwanzaa so I wanted to post a meditation and movement practice related to that celebration as well.
(There are a lot of holidays and cultural events throughout December and I don’t mention them all because I don’t always have the time to do proper research and determine if it would be appropriate for me to reference them in this type of post. If you celebrate something in December that you think would be appropriate for Making Space 2026, please let me know in the comments and I will include it next year.)
Here’s one of our movement practices for today.
In the still image of this 10 Minute Kickboxing Quick HIIT Workout from BodyFit by Amy, the title of the video is on the left in black and the instructor, a person with light skin and freckles and their blond hair in a ponytail and cloth hairband, is demonstrating a punch with their right fist towards the camera and their left arm close to their body in a guarding position (upper arm close to the body, elbow down, forearm leaned slightly across their chest, fist near their chin. They are wearing a blue cropped tank top and you can see the black waistband of their pants (or shorts?)
Here’s our first meditation practice for today:
In still image for this Box Breathing Relaxation Exercise from Hands On Meditation, a variation of the video title ‘5 Minute Box Breathing Relaxation Exercise Beginner Pace’ is in the middle of the screen with the first two words in yellow, the rest in white. The first four words are in larger text than the last four. Behind the text is a silhouette of a square with thick lines for each side and the background is a sort of patterned blue that gives the impression of being underwater.In case you are interested, here’s a good explanation of the benefits of Box Breathing from Sunnybrook Hospital.
Here’s our second movement practice for today:
In the still image for this Kwanzaa Quick Workout video from Uhuru Dancers, Atlanta the instructor, a black person with curly hair pulled upwards away from their face with a yellow and brown patterned scarf, large hoop earrings, a black tshirt with the word LEGACY in white, a hip scarf in the same pattern, and red leggings, is standing on a white and red patterned rug with their hands on the back of their hips. They look calm and determined. In the background, next to a red wall, are several tall drums, and a wooden table. There are posters and other hangings on the wall.
And here’s a Kwanzaa meditation from a few years ago:
In this still image from Principles of Kwanzaa, 7 Day Meditation Challenge Day 1: Umoja – Unity from Manii Dot Calm, the instructor, a young black person with their hair covered in a brightly coloured scarf is sitting on a couch that is covered with yellow fabric and there are two windows with blinds closed behind them. They are wearing a white sleeveless blouse over a burgundy tank top, and they are wearing gold earing and bangles on both arms. Their eyes are closed and their arms are raised so their elbows are away from their body, their forearms are closer to the camera and their hands are palm inward at face height but maybe 6-8 inches away from their face.
If you are interested in more Kwanzaa meditations, her other videos are available at Manii Dot Calm but they are not in a separate playlist.
I’ve been writing the Making Space series daily every December for 5 years and, as it goes with these things, I am probably the person who needs the advice the most.
I am just as likely as anyone (maybe even more likely?) to get caught up in how much I could be doing and forget that there is just one person doing all the stuff I put on my list.*
My ever-expanding to do list is the result of the combination my ADHD-related challenges with time/capacity/prioritization and the ambient pressure that comes along this time of year.
Writing the Making Space posts have been helpful for me every year – a daily reminder that making space for myself in my own life is a valuable and worthwhile endeavour AND a practice that actually forces me to focus on a task (writing) that I enjoy.
I also find that the movement and mindfulness practices help, of course. Even though I don’t always complete those specific practices on those specific days, the structure of seeking them out to share with you reminds me to include at least some movement and a little meditation on even my busiest days.
But, despite how helpful all of that has been in the past, this year feels different – in a good way.
This year, I feel far more calm in December than I ever have.
Now, there are lots of contributing factors here – my kids are both in their 20s, my freelance work has been better distributed this year, I have gotten better at planning and prioritizing- but, aside from (because of?) all of that, I have found myself leaning into my movement and mindfulness practices and feeling much better because of it.
When I feel tense, I’ve been asking myself how my body needs to move right now.
When I feel stressed, I’ve been asking myself to pause and breathe.
And, yes, I have been doing this to a certain degree for a long while, this year seeking movement and mindfulness has been a more automatic, more consistent response to those feelings of tension and stress.
It feels really good to respond in those ways so often, so directly.
And I am proud of myself for getting to this point.
My practices may not be perfect but they do allow me to take better care of myself and that’s really the best case scenario, isn’t it?
*Yes, there is holiday teamwork at my house but I am talking about the stuff I tend to pile on to my to do list, not the stuff that actually must be done for our house to function and have the holiday we want to have.
As I move towards the end of the year, I need to (almost constantly!) remind myself that I can do most things a little bit at a time.
Thanks to ADHD, my subconscious default is to put things aside – even huge projects – until I have time to finish them all at once. *
Despite the obvious flaws in that approach, if I’m not careful, I can go for ages not working on something because my brain has essentially put it on shelf for later when I have ‘the right kind of time’ to address it.
Even if you don’t get trapped in that kind of ADHD subconscious loop, I am sure that you have projects or tasks that you are trying to find time to work on all at once.
Perhaps it is an end-of-year project for work, maybe it’s cleaning the fridge, or making some phone calls, either way, if you have been consciously or subconsciously parking a task with lots of subtasks within it, this is your official permission to work on it in little bits over time.
It might take you a week to clean the fridge or get that website updated but it is better than having it haunt you from your to do list and never actually getting around to it.
For the record, cleaning my fridge is one of those tasks for me – I am pretty sure there is a jar rebellion underway on the back of the top shelf – and, today, I am going to spend 10 minutes cleaning one part. (This is where you can imagine me saying, in a goofy tone, I am SUCH a good example!)
Approaching things in this way will make some space in a lot of different ways – space in my schedule (since I don’t need a big block of time), space in my head (because the task will have some traction), and literal space in my fridge.
Not bad, hey?
So, whether you are picking a task to do bit by bit, you are planning to do one of the videos below, or you are going to do something else to make a bit of space for yourself, I wish you ease and self-kindness.
Good luck out there!
Here’s our movement video for today:
In the still image from this 10 Minute Muscle Toning Wheelchair Workout from Empowered Para the instructor is featured on the left hand side and the title of the video is on the right. The instructor, who has long brown hair, is sitting in their wheelchair and they are wearing green pants and a black sleeveless shirt. They are smiling and pointing towards the camera and a speech balloon above them says ‘Hey you! Come workout!’
And here’s our meditation:
In the still image for this 5 Minute Meditation for Focus from Great Meditation, the still image shows a pink cartoon brain sitting with its thin black line legs crossed and its thin black line arms at what would be shoulder height on a person. Its eyes are closed and it has a small smile. The background of the image is purplish blue and there are white lines extending outward from the area around the brain – maybe concentration or focus energy? The name of the video is in black text partially above and partially below the brain.
*Longer ADHD explanation:
To be clear, ‘all at once’ doesn’t necessarily mean on one day. My brain acknowledges that some things take longer than that so it seeks a stretch of time – a few days, a week, a month- in which I will be able to work on something repeatedly until it is done. Those stretches of time rarely appear, of course, because life doesn’t work like that. Yet, rather than bringing the project to my mental surface for reconsideration, my brain will just put the project on pause until it can find the right kind of time. I have to put in A LOT of effort to interrupt that default routine.
As you can imagine, this leads to a lot of self-frustration because some larger projects get parked without me realizing it has happened. This parking of projects thing isn’t a conscious decision, it happens on some other level and I have to check in with myself over and over to figure out why some projects have stalled.
When time is tight, like it can be this time of year, my brain tends to want to store any multi-part project away and I run the risk of it becoming late for me to do some important things.
There’s a lot more I could say about this but I just wanted to give this much explanation for now in case it is helpful for someone else!
For my own amusement, I decided to choose today’s videos by searching ‘8 minute workout’ and ‘8 minute meditation’ to match the fact that today is the 8th.
It’s true that it doesn’t take a lot to amuse me but I consider that a good thing. 😉
In this section of the post, I usually add a little extra idea for your day. This time, I thought of all sorts of fun 8-themed activities for you to try today but eventually decided to offer this suggestion instead:
Today, please try to do just one thing that is for your own amusement. That might mean wearing your favourite hat, listening to a favourite song, dancing in the hallway, adding cinnamon to your hot chocolate, doodling in your notebook, shaping your pancakes like diamonds or sending heart emojis to all of your friends.
It really doesn’t matter what you decide, the important thing is that it is something fun for you* and that it doesn’t necessarily serve any other purpose besides amusing yourself.
As always, I wish you ease and self-kindness as you make your way through today.
Here is your movement practice for today:
Today’s video is from Silver Sneakers and the title ‘8-Minute Full Body Workout’ is shown on a blue overlay on the left side of the still image. On the right side is a slightly blurry photo of person in shorts and a long-sleeved shirt with their hair pinned up and their hands on their hips. They are mid-movement and there is a dark coloured couch and end table to their left.
And here’s your mindfulness practice:
In this ‘8 Minute Meditation You Can Do Anywhere’ from Yoga with Adriene, Adriene is wearing light coloured comfortable clothing and she is sitting somewhat cross-legged on some blankets to elevate her hips. Benji, her dog, is sleeping behind her and there is a window and greenery in the background. She has her eyes closed and her hands are resting on her upper legs. She looks quite peaceful.
* For the record, I am not advocating that you have fun at someone else’s expense nor am I suggesting that you do anything harmful. Just had to get that out there. (Yes, I overthink everything. Even this note.)
When I came across today’s movement video and noticed how short it was, I thought it would fun to make today’s post very brief to make the point that even short practices can really helpus to create more space for ourselves.
And speaking of the value of short practices, today I would like to invite you to shorten your to do list. Pick something that you aren’t enthused about doing and toss it right off your to do list. There’s a lot of freedom to be gained in deciding early that you aren’t going to do something – instead of leaving it on the list in case you have time.
No matter how much time you have to make some space for yourself today, I wish you ease and fun in the process.
Have fun out there!
Here’s our movement practice for today:
The still image from this ‘Pancakes & Waffles Hands Free Rise’ video from Holly Jahn shows the instructor sitting on the floor facing the camera. Their legs are apart and their hands are behind their head with elbows out to either side. They are wearing a great yoga sweatshirt and black leggings and they have short dark hair and glasses.
And our mindfulness practice today:
For this 1 Minute Breathing Exercise video from CalmSage, the still image shows a purple background with a layered circular white shape in the middle of the screen that expands and contracts to give you a way slow down your breathing and relax.
I hope that today finds you with at least a little time to yourself, even if it is just taking a little extra time with your cup of tea, a little longer in the shower, or going a little slower when doing some routine tasks.
I know I am not alone in this but I hate, hate, hate to feel rushed so when I am feeling hurried, I always try to figure out small ways to reduce that feeling of pressure. Sometimes, taking my time at the grocery store or choosing a slower way to do something helps my brain to recalibrate and see the difference between feeling rushed and any actual urgency.
I know that isn’t the same as actual rest or actually changing my to do list but when I am in the thick of things, I may not have the time or brain space to do either of those.
And I also know that some of you may not have the freedom or capacity to change the order or nature of your task but I hope that you can be kind to yourself about the facts of your day, that you can eke out a few minutes rest, and that you can recognize that feeling rushed at a busy time is not a personal flaw. You are doing what you can with the resources you have and that’s all anyone can do.
Whether you are rushing, relaxing, or doing something in between today, I wish you ease in your mind and in your body.
May you have a little more space when you need it.
Here’s today’s movement practice:
This video from Yes2Next is called “Easy 5 min Wall Pilates Workout (No Weights): For Ages 60+ and Beginners” and the still image shows the two happy-looking participants in a very light squat with their arms slightly extended behind them. Their photos superimposed over a purple wall and they are standing on a wooden floor. The participants are a mother/daughter pair and the Mom, an elderly woman with short grey hair, is closest to the camera and is wearing a black track suit. The daughter, who is middle aged, is in black leggings and dark peach t-shirt.
And here’s today’s mindfulness practice:
The still image for this Headspace video “Grounding Exercise for Racing Minds” shows a cartoonish yellow circle with googly eyes looking upwards and the the left. There is a white circle and a dark orange circle layered around the yellow circle character and the background of the image is a warm orange. The video title is on the upper left with the first few words in white and the last two in yellow.
I hope you have managed to plan, schedule, or squeeze a bit of extra space into this first week of December and I hope that a little extra fun made its way into your days as well.
Today, I’d like to remind you that there are lots of different ways to relax and have fun.
If you love getting dressed up and going to parties, that’s a great way to spend your time.
If you love watching movies at home in your pajamas, that’s also a great way to spend your time.
Please don’t feel pressured to do all of the social things and please make sure to respect your own needs, limits, and capacity when choosing how to spend your time.
Sure, we all can get a bit overscheduled this time of year – it can kind of go with the territory – but we probably have at least a little leeway in the what and the how and the when of participating in social events.
Speaking of choices, when you are making a little space for yourself today, feel free to choose these videos or to choose something else that serves you well.
Wishing you ease and fun, as always!
Here’s our movement practice for today:
The still image for this “10-Minute Vacation-Vibes Soca Workout” from PS Fit features three energetic and happy looking people in black workout clothes in the centre of the image. They are all slightly turned to the right and they have their arms slightly raised so their hands are in front of their right hips, palms down. The background is bright pink.
And here’s our mindfulness practice for today:
The still image for Michigan Medicine‘s “Mindfulness Breathing and Directed Doodling” video shows a person’s hands holding a green Sharpie marking and making lines in a figure 8 on a white sheet of paper that is resting on a wooden table. There are already blue lines in the same pattern on the paper.
Since the last full moon of 2025 will rise this evening (some people call it the Cold Moon which I find delightful), I thought it would be fun to have some moon-themed videos and links in today’s post.
According to some, this full moon is a sign to do a little introspection and to release things that no longer serve us. (see the Instagram link below for more on this)
Whether or not you follow or participate in any sort of woo or any sort of alternative spiritual practices, I’m sure you can see the benefit in taking time to reflect and to release things (even though it is easier said than done!) whether that happens now or next week.
Anyway, here are our practices to make some space for ourselves today and I’ve thrown in an IG post and a relaxing ambience video just for fun.
Whether you do these practices or something entirely different, I wish you ease and space today and always.
Here’s today’s movement practice:
A 15 minute Moon Practice from Yoga with Adriene. In the still image she is standing on her grey yoga mat in front of a window. There are plants and Benji (her sleeping dog) on the left side of the screen and an end table with more plants on it on the right. She is wearing burgundy leggings and a purple sleeveless tshirt. Her feet are wide apart and her legs are bent at the knee, her upper arms are raised to shoulder height and her forearms are extended upwards.
And here’s our meditation practice for today:
This video from A Big Breath In is called Full Moon Feels 5 Minute Guided Meditation and the still image shows the title against a light pinkish yellow background. There is a mandala drawn in the centre of the screen with part of the title above it and part below.
I chose this post from Arlyn Flower Farm on IG because it had a good combination of information and reflective questions. The still image shows a very close-up depiction of the moon.
And, finally, here’s an ‘ambience’ video that I like to have on my screen when I am doing paperwork or reading my book. I thought that some of you might like it, too.
This video from Dead of Night is called Vintage Christmas Window Ambience and the still image shows a desk and a view out of the window. Outside you can see a Victorian street lamp, the moon, some houses, and some snow falling. Inside you can see books, a lamp, a tree made of book pages, several candles, a warm chocolate drink, and just a small piece of a Christmas tree in the left corner.
Since these posts are about making space for ourselves in December, today I’m considering our mental space.
When I have a busy time ahead, I often forget that making a list makes things better.
Not only does it clear out my brain but it also lets me see just how much I am trying to take on in the weeks ahead. Seeing it all written (or typed) out helps me to notice if I am taking on too much (almost certainly), if there are unnecessary things crowding my to do list, and if there are items I can reschedule or ask others for help with.
I know the suggestion to make a list isn’t new but since I often find myself ‘too busy to make a list’, I thought you might find yourself in the same situation.
So, here’s your gentle reminder that making a list frees up some brainspace, helps you to see the sheer volume of little tasks that are bouncing around in your head, and it can help you decide which tasks are vital and which can wait.
Meanwhile, though, if a list will add to your stress, feel free to ignore me. You are the boss of you!
And, as always, I wish you ease and peace of mind as you make some extra space for yourself in your own life.
In other news, here are your movement and mindfulness links for today:
Step 1: Strength training!
Here’s a strength training workout from Senior Shape Fitness called “10 Minute Full Body Strength Workout for Beginners & Seniors” and the still image shows the instructor side-on facing to the right. They have their long dark hair in a ponytail and they are wearing dark blue leggings and a light blue top. They are lifting small blue weights and smiling. The wall behind them had a blueish tinge and there is a thin tree with large leaves on the right side of the image.
Step 2: Meditation
Today’s video, “5 Minute Meditation for Focus & Clarity | Beat Procrastination & Distraction”, is from Lavendaire. The still image is of a person sitting in a meditation posture (cross-legged, upright, eyes closed, arms slightly forward so the backs of the hands are on the knees) The person is wearing white pants and black shirt and looks very peaceful sititng on a white couch with a two photos of a grassy field on the wall behind them.
Here we are at Day 2 and I already have a favour to ask you.
In the midst of your plan to make a bit more space for yourself this season, I’m wondering if you would consider scheduling two small things that are important to you in the weeks ahead.
This doesn’t have to be anything fancy – it could be reading a book or doing a puzzle or calling friend to catch up or dancing to specific song, or walking to look at lights or trees or the river.
It really doesn’t matter what the two small things are. What matters is that consider those things to be just as important as anything else you plan to do in the next few weeks.
Treat those plans like an appointment with a doctor or a meeting with a client – something that is pretty firmly scheduled but if something goes awry it will be rescheduled, not cancelled.
This is another way to create some space for yourself in December.
Because if you are like me, things that are just of interest to me tend to get shuffled aside for “when I get everything else done.”*
It’s never my plan to neglect my own fun but sometimes it just seems easier to put it aside for later.
So, my two definite plans for myself are: to go to the Santa Claus parade in my city on Saturday and to do a puzzle on the afternoon of the 21st.
If you’d like to tell me your plans in the comments, I’d love to read them!
So, with that said, here are two ways you can make a little space for yourself in your mind, your body, and your life today.
Wishing you ease, as always!
I chose some HIIT cardio for today’s movement practice but the instructor offers some modified movements if this is a bit much for you today. Remember, as always, that you are free to choose something else to do or to just do a small section. You are the boss of you!
This video is called”10 Minute Intense Cardio Party HIIT to the Beat” and it’s from the Fit by Mik channel. The still image shows the instructor in exercise clothes (blue leggings and a sports bra) with their hair in a ponytail doing an exercise where they are bringing their left elbow and right knee together. Their smile and the way their ponytail is flying out to the side gives a energetic feeling to the image. The title of the video is on the left side of the screen.
And here’s our mindfulness practice for today:
This video is “5 Minute Guided Meditation Quick Reset” from Meditate with Antonella and the still image is of several items on a brown table. Only two of the items can be clearly seen because the title text is covering part of the screen. The scene is dimly lit, there is a plant in a brown shallow dish in the upper right and in the center is a lit, light yellow, pillar candle in the same kind of round, brown, shallow dish.
*Yeah, there is no such time as “everything is done” – there is always more that “could” be done. We all end up just making decisions about when we are going to have to stop or when we have done “enough” so we might as well fit our own stuff in there now instead of hoping time will materialize at the end of our tasks.
