You're listening to Life Kit, from NPR.

Hey everybody, it's Mariel.

I don't know if y'all have ever felt this way,

but a lot of the time between Christmas and New Year's, I get really gloomy

really gloomy. Life is so busy all the time, too busy really,

and then during that week it comes to a standstill, right? The merriment of the holidays with all the bright lights and

the cooking and the crafts, that's basically over. Plus you might be traveling,

visiting relatives, sleeping in a bed that's not your own.

It's like you're suspended in time,

waiting for your normal life to start again in the new year,

with all the pressure and emotion that can bring.

But this week, it doesn't have to feel so eerie. It can

actually be a golden opportunity to get quiet and turn inward to reflect on

where you're at and where you're headed.

I want to shake loose the past and actually lean into the future,

but I want to shape the future as well, not just let the future happen. That's the Buddhist teacher Lamuad Owens.

On this episode of Life Kit, how to slow down and reflect ahead of the new year.

Reporter Kyle Norris talked to Lamarrad and to an artist who makes graphic novels,

and they'll all share ideas and exercises that you can use this week to transition to 2024.

Before we get back to the show,

the end of the year is coming up,

and we're reflecting a little bit here at Life Kit.

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