The End of Year Crunch: Is it just me, or is your calendar mocking you too?

Is anyone else feeling that vibrating hum of panic right now? The one that usually starts the moment the calendar flips to December. And where suddenly, every email subject line is shouting about "Finishing Strong!" or "Crushing Your Q4 Goals!" or "Planning Your Best Year Yet!"

I’m raising my hand really high right now. December 1^st came and I looked at my list of all the things I wanted to accomplish before the holidays. (Somehow that list now seems to have multiplied while I slept.) And then, of course, I looked at the number of workdays left in the year. Big mistake.

My chest got tight. My shoulders crept up to my ears and became earrings. I felt that familiar urge to just work faster, harder, and longer to "beat" the calendar.

It’s so easy to get swept up in this end-of-year frenzy. Feeling the pressure of having to madly dash across the finish line, gasping for air, just to get it all done. And in my case, prove to myself that I can get it all done. Logically, I know it’s a silly pressure I place on myself. However, my brain tries to convince me otherwise.

Guess what? There’s a perfectly good reason our brains may feel like they’re needing to madly dash right now.

The Brain Science Behind the December Dash

When we look at the limited number of days left in the year against what seems like a mountain of tasks and “want to do’s,” our brains can shift into scarcity mode, triggering all sorts of stress responses.

Our brains correlate that dwindling timeline as a threat to resources and safety. That perceived threat then can kick into gear a phenomenon known as Cognitive Tunneling.

Imagine looking through a paper towel tube where you can only see what is right in front of you. In a survival situation, this is great because it helps you focus entirely on the immediate threat, as opposed to everything else in your peripheral vision.

But in your business? It’s a recipe for stress and potential burnout.

Cognitive Tunneling gets in the way of your prefrontal cortex’s ability to see the big picture. Which then can cause you to lose the ability to prioritize effectively. Everything on your list may start to feel equally urgent and equally critical, even when it’s not.

This is when your brain stops trying to be creative or strategic and starts obsessing over "doing" in order to create a sense of safety. (And not always doing the things that need to get done by the holiday deadline.)

That is why you might find yourself cleaning out your inbox instead of tackling an item on your list. It is not a lack of discipline. It's your brain trying to mitigate the impact of “not enough time” with a quick “win” and dopamine hit.

An Experiment to Try: The Choice Reset

It helps if we create a signal to our brains that we’re not actually in any danger. That way we can widen that tunnel, so our logical, brilliant prefrontal cortexes can do what they do best.

We can do this by creating choices… choices to the brain equates to a plan and a plan creates safety.

Here’s how:

Step 1: Do a brain dump. Get everything out of your head. Write down every single task, goal, errand, and want-to-do. Just get it all on paper so your brain doesn't have to spend energy "holding" it all for you.

Step 2: Challenge the "must do." Look at that list. When we are in Cognitive Tunneling, every item looks like a "Must Do." So, it helps to look at each item and ask a simple question: "If I were to move this to January, what would happen?

Be ruthless. Will your business collapse? Will you lose a key client? Or will you just feel a momentary pang of guilt? Mark the items that have zero catastrophic consequences with a star.

Step 3: Give yourself the gift of deferring. Take at least three of those starred items (more if you feel so inclined) … and move them to dates in January.

This physical act of moving tasks out of the "danger zone" (December) and into a safe future date (January) lowers the scarcity signal. You aren't ignoring the work; you’re just choosing to reschedule it.

Step 4: Choose one to three things from your original list that, if you completed them, would make you feel good. Good enough to close the laptop for the holidays.

Your Brain Works Better When It Isn’t Mad Dashing Across the Finish Line

When you refuse to buy into the frantic energy of the "end of year crunch," you’re doing yourself and your business a favor. By creating choices you’re not only calming your brain but you’re creating space in your calendar. (A beautiful side effect is regaining access to your best thinking, your creativity, and your problem-solving skills. Welcome back, Prefrontal Cortex.)

My friends, what’s one thing you’re officially moving to your "January List" so you give your brain a break this month? I am personally deferring creating a new Insight Timer course that felt urgent yesterday but can definitely wait until the New Year.

Be sure to share what you’re taking off your plate in the comment section.

Here’s to an amazing, calm and recharging holiday season.