The Pull to Slow Down
Seasonal Reflections • Burnout & Boundaries • Self-Inquiry & Personal Growth
There’s something about November that pulls me to slow down. The air shifts, the light fades earlier, and I feel a quiet invitation to check in with myself, to look at how I’ve been spending my energy and ask if it is still aligned with what I actually want.
I’ve been doing this for years now, a seasonal pause to look closely at my life. I review every commitment on my calendar, every relationship I’m maintaining, every project I’ve said yes to. I ask myself: Is this feeding me or draining me? Is this bringing me closer to the life I want, or pulling me further away from it?
It is not always easy work. I have learned to notice when I am starting to drift toward old patterns, when I am about to overcommit, when I am slipping into people-pleasing, when I am pushing instead of resting. I catch it earlier now and course-correct. I return to the same questions: What is this actually costing me? Not just in time or money, but in energy, in peace, in the parts of myself I am giving up to keep everything together.
November brings me back to this practice more intentionally. This season makes me want to clear space and get quiet enough to hear what is true, to stop pushing and start questioning, to ask what I am making room for and what I have been carrying that no longer belongs to me.
The truth is, we cannot do everything. We cannot be everywhere for everyone. When we try, we end up stretched so thin that we lose ourselves entirely, building lives that look full but feel empty.
If you have been feeling depleted and disconnected, moving through your days on autopilot, try this: make two lists—one for what energizes you and one for what drains you. Then look honestly at where your time goes. The space between those two lists will show you what needs to shift.
You do not need permission to rearrange your life around what sustains you. You do not have to wait until you are completely burned out or until someone else validates your exhaustion. You can start now, one decision at a time, one honest no, one intentional yes to what actually nourishes you.
That is where everything begins to shift. November keeps calling me back to it —the practice of slowing down, clearing space, and choosing what is true over what only looks good.
About Victoria & Healing Arts VB
I’m Victoria, a somatic and mindfulness coach based in Virginia Beach and co-founder of the Healing Arts Center. My work supports people who feel overextended, anxious, or disconnected in reconnecting with their bodies, clarifying boundaries, and making choices that align with what truly sustains them.
About Victoria & Healing Arts VB
I'm Victoria, a somatic and mindfulness coach based in Virginia Beach, and co-founder of the Healing Arts Center. My work helps people who feel overextended, anxious, or disconnected reconnect with their bodies, set boundaries, and make choices that align with what truly sustains them.
I combine evidence-informed mindfulness, nervous-system regulation, and holistic practices like Reiki and breathwork to support real-world change—one decision at a time. Whether in person or online, I help clients slow down, listen inward, and rebuild a life that feels both grounded and meaningful. https://www.vagaro.com/healingartscenter
