The Week After Thanksgiving: When the World Speeds Up & We’re Still Catching Our Breath

If you’re anything like me, the week after Thanksgiving always feels like stepping onto a moving walkway you didn’t mean to get on.

One minute you’re savoring leftovers, feeling soft and full and human…and the next minute the world is yelling at you:

BUY NOW! 40% OFF! LAST CHANCE! HURRY HURRY HURRY!

It’s wild, honestly. The transition from gratitude to urgency happens so fast that it’s easy to miss the emotional whiplash underneath it. And for so many women — especially the ones who carry the invisible load, keep the traditions alive, and make everything “feel special” — this week hits different.

There’s this subtle pressure to immediately snap back into productivity after a quiet holiday. To answer every email. Restart every routine. Shop for every gift. Decorate the house. Be present for family. Keep up with work. And somehow still stay grounded, regulated, and connected to yourself.

It’s… a lot.

But here’s what I want you to hear today:

You don’t have to move at the pace of the world around you. You’re allowed to re-enter gently. You’re allowed to take the soft approach. You’re allowed to rebuild your rhythm slowly.

This season can be beautiful — full of connection, intention, warmth — but only if you are in it with yourself. Not running three steps behind your own life.

So, if you’re feeling:

• overstimulated from the crowds, the travel, the noise

• guilty for not buying “enough” or not buying on sale

• disconnected from your body after a busy holiday

• pressured to jump into the festive hustle

• tired in a way that sleep doesn’t quite fix

…you’re not alone. So many women feel this. And nobody really talks about it.

Here’s your gentle reminder for the week:

You’re allowed to choose presence over pressure. You’re allowed to step back from the chaos. You’re allowed to return to yourself — slowly, intentionally, and without apology.

Let this be a week where you:

🤍 take one thing off your list

🤍 breathe before you say “yes”

🤍 let yourself rest without earning it

🤍 say no to the urgency and yes to the moment

🤍 honor what you need, not what the world is shouting about

Because the truth is — healing doesn’t pause for the holidays. Your nervous system doesn’t care about Cyber Monday. Your body still needs you.

And you’re allowed to give yourself permission to slow down.

With softness,

Amaliah

Founder, The Growth Collective

A therapy space for women who deserve to feel grounded, supported, and deeply seen.