Advent Blog 2025 —Beginning New Routines: Small Shifts, Fresh Energy

Well, 2025 is definitely loosening its grip as we edge ever closer to Christmas, and the next year is quietly waving to us from the horizon. We feel ourselves naturally leaning forward.

Not rushing towards it, but definitely noticing its approach.

This in-between season naturally turns our thoughts to a kind of reset. It’s not the loud new year, new you kind, but a subtle shift, that begins before January and those are the ones that often stick — maybe the intention is more earnest. We are so eager to turn a new leaf, that we begin rehearsing the new routine ahead of the official “ start date”. We start cutting down on sweets and desserts, we feel the need for a walk after dinner,

I’m thinking of spending less time on my iPad. I know many people who are noticing increased time on their phones and want that time back.

Maybe it starts now, over the holidays, with fewer reflexive phone checks. Fewer moments lost to scrolling.

More moments actually lived. Not because our phones are “bad,” but because our lives deserve our full attention.

Mindfulness doesn’t have to mean long meditations or perfect routines. Sometimes it simply means choosing presence—again and again—when we remember we have a choice.

The new year doesn’t demand reinvention.
It invites intention.

And often, the smallest routines create the biggest sense of spaciousness. Intentionally putting the phone away 1 hour more a day. What would you do with that extra hour?

Creating Phone-Light (Not Phone-Strict) Gatherings

If you’re hosting this season—or simply gathering with people you love—here are a few easy, upbeat ways to encourage connection without calling anyone out:

1. The “Drop & Be Present” Bowl

Place a basket or wrap a box in Christmas paper near the door with a simple sign:

“Drop your phone. Pick up the moment.”

No rules. No pressure. Just an invitation.

2. A Purposeful Opening Moment

Start gatherings with something grounding:

• A one-minute gratitude round
• A shared toast to the year ahead
• A question card on each seat (“What’s one thing you’re excited about next year?”)

Once people are engaged, phones naturally fade.

3. Hands Busy, Minds Present

Activities gently reduce scrolling:

• Building a charcuterie board together
• Joining together on a puzzle or playing games
• Making mocktails or tea blends

4. Designated “Capture Then Connect” Time

Our phones are great to capture those special moments. Invite everyone to take photos early—then suggest a collective pause:

“Let’s put phones down for the next hour and be here.”

It feels freeing when everyone agrees together.

5. Create a Cozy Atmosphere That Competes with Screens

Soft lighting, music, candles, meaningful conversation prompts—when the environment feels special, people want to stay in it.

A Gentle Intention for the Year Ahead

This year doesn’t need more noise. It needs more noticing.

More eye contact with strangers and loved ones. More collective participation, conversation, and laughter. After all, moments don’t need to be documented to be real.

Maybe one of your new routines is simply this:

When I’m with people I love, I choose presence.

That’s a beautiful place to begin.