Reset January: How to Enjoy the Winter Months
We are almost at the end of the first month for 2025. If December were the party, January is often regarded as the hangover. All you want to do is lie in bed, stay warm and wait out the dark days. There is a lot of hate found with month number 1, but I have really begun to relish these slower paced, dimly lit days.
Wearing my Barbour Beadnell classic wax jacket, Holland Cooper cable knit jumper and Vantage Atelier leather gloves.
Yes, it’s true - I will rarely see the winter sun, but my soul has other needs that are more prioritising. There's a rush and pressure to move quickly, to hurry up and start your goals. Have you done your vision board yet? Are you getting to the gym everyday? New year, new me starts on 1st January right? No, of course not. You have the entire year, and placing pressure at the start of it feels frankly, impractical.
January - in my humble opinion - is a resting period. We are starting slow and gradually building momentum for what may lie ahead. We are using this time wisely, hibernating to regain perspective. When you are always moving and rushing, you have no time to think about the bigger picture. But in this beautiful month, I am fully embracing the slowness and purposeful living. With that, here are a few things I have embraced in my deliberate attempt on focusing on small steps.
The Moon has been more visible and brightly shining on the clear skied winter days.
Reading books has been a welcomed rejoining to my life. I had abandoned this for a while and eased myself back into light reading during the lead up to Christmas. Commutes to work serve a multi-purpose. I lose myself in the pages and give my tired eyes a break from glaring screens. Each day I am learning, whether it be a new fact or new word. I feel the tension ease off my forehead, the headaches fade, and I am ready to start my day.
Nothing beats going on a walk, whether it is in your local park and further afield. Coombe Abbey Hotel has a beautiful park surrounding it.
When I am working from home, I find a walk around my local park does just the trick to boost my mood. It’s tough during these winter days, I wake up in the dark and it’s dark by the time I get home. Any opportunity to walk outside amongst nature is a blessing. Even when I am at the office, I tend to take my lunch outside and walk along the canal. Cyclists and runners pass me by and ducks swim up, hoping I have food for them. I am highlighting these little moments because these are just as important as the outdoorsing you do on the weekends. Avoid wishing away the weeks, and only living for the weekends. Absorb these pockets of peace in your everyday.
Healthy balanced meals help towards not your physical health, but mental as well.
A home cooked meal is always better than takeaway food in my humble opinion. I used to hate being in the kitchen, I found it to be a waste of time, sucking up my free evening when I wished to be relaxing. But cooking can be turned into a form of meditation. Play some music or put something on your phone as you prep your vegetables. Or go fully tranquil and just cook in the silence. It sounds daunting, but I find peace in the simplicity of peeling and chopping. No distraction, no disturbance, just the sound of the water in the pan gently bubbling away. After a long day, it’s comforting to dial back on the outside forces and just zone in on the task in front of me, much like the gym.
Investing in good quality bedding and linen helps massively with sleep.
During these cold days, it’s easy to seek comfort in junk food, but there’s something enlightening in knowing I am keeping my meals nutritious. It’s as though I am preparing my body for the year ahead. I’ve recently switched to herbal teas in the evenings as well. Reducing the levels of caffeine during the day can help with sleep. Seeking plenty of rest does such wonders for mental and physical factors, not to mention the benefits of beauty aging. I am often reducing the screen time before bed, switching everything off by 10pm, so that my eyes and brain can slowly ease into nighttime.
If you do not wish to burn soy candles, LED based candles are handy all-year round.
Don't get me wrong, I still watch an episode from the series I am bingeing or break up a film across a couple of evenings. Watching TV is still a form of relaxing and I love my room to feel all cosy, with twinkling fairy lights glowing and burning candles exuding sweet and fresh aroma. Opt out of paraffin and buy soy candles if you burn frequently like I do. I have a rustic candelabra that reminds me of Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast. I love how fancy it looks and it adds a touch of luxury to my evening entertainment watching.
These are just some of the simple things I brought into my energy during winter and I’d say, find whatever works best for you. Easing into routines has made the start of the year so much more successful. I no longer guilt trip myself into overdoing things. That’s not to say I procrastinate, but rather find taking my time during January, has helped me embrace the darkly anticipated month. I hope you have had a wonderful Month 1 and I look forward to the exciting ride that will be 2025.
