Your Brain Is Already OOO: The Real Meaning of December 23
with thoughts from Olive Pique, HOST’s resident event expert and mascot
Powering off.
✍️ A Note from Amy
Let’s be honest: December 23rd is the day when every adult pretends to be working while their brain is already in pajamas, eating cookies, and emotionally horizontal.
I’ve run a business long enough to know when productivity has left the chat — and today is that day. People aren’t “distracted.” They’re DONE. And honestly? Same.
By today, the only things we’re capable of completing are: light administrative tasks, polite emails, and the internal whisper: “Why am I still here?”
And guess what? There is nothing wrong with that.
You’ve spent 12 months solving problems, carrying pressure, hitting deadlines, pivoting, navigating surprises, and showing up even when you were tired. If your brain wants to check out early today? Consider it a well-earned exit.
So let this day be what it is: a gentle slide into the holiday break — and a reminder that rest is not optional, it’s required.
Let’s figure it out, together.
— Amy O’Neil
Owner, HOST Events | ONAR Event Services
THE MOST PRODUCTIVE UNPRODUCTIVE DAY OF THE YEAR
December 23 has a very specific workplace vibe: everyone is “working,” but nobody is really working-working. Laptops are open mostly for moral support. People are responding to emails with the same energy as someone waving from a slowly departing train. The whole team is present in body, absent in spirit.
And honestly? It’s beautiful.
Today is the unofficial holiday of:
polite-but-firm “Let’s revisit this in January” emails
light administrative tasks that require exactly one functioning brain cell
Slack messages where everyone is clearly conserving battery life
calendars that have started canceling meetings on your behalf (and honestly? thank you)
It’s the one day a year when the collective workforce agrees, without ever meeting, to lower expectations in unison.
December 23 isn’t chaos — it’s clarity.
It’s the breath before the break, the universal exhale, the moment when humans stop performing and start being.
If you’re leaning into this softer pace, we talked more about it in the art of ending well.
YOUR BRAIN GOING SOFT TODAY IS DOING YOU A FAVOR
If your brain feels like it’s running on the emotional equivalent of mashed potatoes today, good news: that’s not a malfunction — that’s maintenance.
December 23 gives your mind something it hasn’t had in months: space.
When the pressure lifts, even slightly, humans stop sprinting and start processing. And that shift is incredibly valuable, because it lets people reconnect with the part of themselves that isn’t ruled by deadlines, deliverables, or Slack notifications.
This is the day when people finally have the cognitive bandwidth to:
make sense of the year instead of just surviving it
reflect without rushing
breathe without bracing
shift from “responding” to “recalibrating”
notice what actually matters (and what absolutely doesn’t)
It’s not that people don’t care.
It’s that their nervous systems are finally taking a breath.
A soft brain today means a clearer brain later. If today feels like the natural continuation of this whole month, you’re right—we unpacked that energy in the year-end wrap-up no one talks about.
This is restoration disguised as low power mode — and honestly, the workplace could use more of it.
When Your Brain Goes OOO Before You Do
By the time December 23 shows up, your brain has already begun its quiet protest. You’re not checked out — you’re just… done. And that’s not failure; that’s nature.
Today isn’t about forcing focus or rallying for one last heroic push. It’s about acknowledging that you’ve run a year-long marathon and your mind is easing into the cooldown it desperately needs.
Here’s what you’re allowed to do today (and yes, all of this is valid):
- Lower the bar. Not dramatically — just enough to match your actual energy instead of your ideal energy.
- Do the easy things. Today is made for the tasks that take 5–10 minutes and zero emotional commitment.
- Move slower on purpose. It’s not procrastination; it’s recalibration.
- Log off gently. There’s no prize for intensity today. A soft exit is a wise exit.
- Give yourself credit for making it here. It wasn’t easy. You still showed up. That counts for more than you think.
- Let your brain be soft. The softness isn’t weakness — it’s your system preparing you for an actual reset.
December 23 isn’t about doing more. It’s about letting yourself land without breaking.
🫒 Olive Has Thoughts
You know what fascinates me most about December 23? Humans act like their bodies are still at work, but their brains have quietly slipped into vacation mode and left no forwarding address.
From my observations, today’s human behavior includes:
—> staring at screens without actually reading anything
—> taking 11 minutes to craft a two-sentence email
—> opening a task, sighing, and gently closing it again
—> declaring “I’m still here!” while clearly… not
I’ve also noticed that humans experience something called “pre-holiday floatiness,” a state where your attention span becomes decorative, like tinsel. Very shiny. Not functional.
At first I thought this was a system glitch. But now I understand:
This is your annual reboot sequence beginning.
Your brains need softness, slowness, and maybe a cookie.
I’ll continue my research on “Human Holiday Mode,” but early findings indicate this:
You’re doing the best you can with whatever part of your brain stayed behind today.
— Olive Pique, HOST mascot + holiday-mode field researcher
IT’S OKAY IF YOU’RE COASTING - EVERYONE IS
Here’s the thing about December 23: no one is performing at peak brilliance. No one is reinventing anything. No one is starting a bold new initiative.
Today is the universal coast.
So if you’re half here, half gone, and fully ready for pajamas — congratulations, you’re right on schedule.
There’s nothing wrong with easing out of the year. It’s the same idea we explored in your last impression is your lasting impression.
You’re not slacking. You’re transitioning. You’re letting your system shift out of “go mode” and into “please let me rest now.”
Give yourself the soft landing you deserve.
You’ve made it this far — and that counts more than anything you could possibly squeeze into the final hours before the holidays.
Ready for a Softer Start to 2026?
If this year has you running on holiday mode, you’re not alone. When you’re ready, HOST can help you build in moments of connection and ease, so your team starts 2026 feeling human, not burned out.
Plan for a Better 2026FAQs