Well, it’s that time of year again. Can you believe it’s December in a few days?
Personally, I’m struggling with the long dark nights, but am working on embracing the cosiness of candles and blankets and reading good books. I am a summer girl at heart, but I think there is much for us to learn and embrace in these winter months.
Historically, I’ve rattled through December with a bottle of red wine in one hand and my debit card in the other. Buying tacky Christmas decorations and propping up the bar used to feel really fun and joyous. But I’ve learnt over the years that this approach always left me feeling extremely down by the end of the season. Down, broke and hungover.
So I’ve changed a little over the years and tried to maintain a sense of wellbeing through December. This change means that I don’t have to pull myself back up by the bootstraps in January, in a way that historically has felt like a shaming process (I’d drink too much, spend too much, then tell myself off and make myself feel bad). Now I try to prioritise my self-care practices in the wind down to the end of the year.
When I prioritise wellbeing practices through the season I am actually able to enjoy things more thoroughly. I have more energy for all the different events and celebrations when I ensure I have down time too.
This year I’m turning the dial up even more. I have already avoided my vice for the past 111 days, and I intend on continuing that for a sober Christmas. I have also signed up to a 30 day yoga pass at the local (beautiful) yoga studio which runs out on 20th December. I am also meditating using Insight Timer, and am ensuring I eat healthily.
This doesn’t mean I am abandoning Christmas. I am really excited about having a family festive time, I’m excited to go to a few local Brighton Christmas events – carols and Burning the Clocks to name a couple, and I’m excited to meet up with various friends for catch-ups in front of open fires.
This season can be a time of cosy self-care, a time of connecting with others, a time of experiencing rituals. It can be a lovely ‘inward’ focused time, a time to reflect on the year gone by and to heal and re-energise.
So, how are you going to practice self-care over this festive season?
Photo by Alisa Anton on Unsplash