It is January 16th. It’s very cold outside. And I feel rushed by society to be 16 days into chipping away at my new year’s resolutions. I know I can’t be the only one who feels an overwhelming pressure to jump into new routines at the start of the new year. After a holiday season full of parties, chaos, and travel I am craving time to slow down. In the past, I got caught up in the fast paced tempo of what society says January should look like. I forgot to give myself time to decompress and just ‘be’ when it felt like my body wanted it the most.
It was only last January that I intuitively took a slower start to the year. When the world was telling me to hustle, I chose to tune it out and listen to my body. My social calendar was not filled, I read a lot, I spent a lot of time coming up with new recipes, and I leaned into the urge to do yoga in my living room after work.
Over the past 2 weeks, I have once again felt the urge to choose a slower routine. I equate this feeling to wanting to cuddle up on the couch with a book when it’s cold and rainy – it’s intuitive! While I have set intentions and goals for this year, I am resisting the urge to complete them right this second. I am spending time with neighbors, reading, and drinking a lot of herbal tea. In some of this downtime I have paused to consider why the habit of jumping into the new year with such force feels like it goes against everything my body wants to naturally do. I thought that surely I can’t be the only one since a large portion of new year’s resolutions are abandoned before February. Surely there is significance behind January 1st.
Oddly enough while scrolling instagram I saw a post about the Julian Calendar, a timekeeping system introduced by Julius Caesar. The calendar was implemented to replace the 10 month Roman calendar. It was a political tool that centralized all timekeeping under Caesar’s rule, pulling away from the Church.
Before the introduction of the Julian calendar, the new year began during the Spring equinox in March. This was an intuitive system synced with nature, making perfect sense as the season of Spring symbolizes new beginnings. This energy can be felt and seen in the nature around us as the flowers bloom and the daylight hours increase.
The introduction of the Julian calendar was an abrupt disruption of the natural cycles we are wired to live by. It ignores our biological rhythm. And over 2,000 years later this disconnect can still be felt.
The truth is that in America, January is the dead of Winter. And with Winter we feel the urge to rest, reflect, and conserve energy. During this time we can prepare and set intentions for the Spring season, as society did before the Julian calendar was put in place. In fact, this trend can be seen in my front yard. I noticed this week that the daffodil bulbs in my front yard are barely peeking out of the ground. They won’t bloom until early March, but they are preparing for Spring.
Modern life asks us to do the opposite, pushing us to be productive and crush some goals before the month is up. By the time we make it to Spring, the season where we should feel more alive, we can be left feeling burnt out, stressed, and needing rest.
January should be a time for rest, not resolutions.
After I learned more about the history of January 1st, I became more mindful of ways I could honor the slower season.
Below are some ways I have been embracing the new year in an unconventional way:
- Reflect: This can be in the form of dinner conversation, journaling, prayer walks, or any way you see fit. Think about how far you’ve come over the past year and channel that into the ways you want to set intentions going forward. Start to plan your next move, your goals for the new year, and the trips you want to take.
- Wind Down and Sleep In: With there being less hours of sunlight everyday, I like to go to bed a little earlier or wake up a little later. If this option isn’t available to you, even just taking a bath to relax at night or reading for 10 minutes in bed can work just the same.
- Modify Movement: I think it’s important to note that slowing down does not mean becoming stagnant – we still need to move our bodies. Most of the resolutions I see are about ramping up intense exercise to lose those holiday pounds. But really after all the holiday stress, your body is looking for some time to recharge. Choose walking, yoga, and strength training over a HIIT workout. If you love your fast paced workouts, maybe choose one or two days a week to substitute with a lower impact form of movement.
- Simplify your Diet: There is a reason that a slow cooked roast with mashed potatoes, gravy, and carrots tastes so good this time of year. Lean into meat-focused meals. Nourish your body with nutrient-dense foods. Drink warm liquids like herbal teas, and strive to eat foods that are in season in your area. If you are struggling with what to make, I have a cookbook coming out this year!
- Connect with Nature: During the limited daylight hours it’s important to get outside. If you follow me on Instagram you know I talk about this frequently. It’s instrumental to our health to get outside even when it’s cold. Get some sun on your skin and go for a walk. There is no bad weather, you just need the right jacket!
- Declutter your Space: If you are feeling productive, declutter your space or complete a home project you have been putting off. This weekend, Ross and I replaced a bathroom fixture, planned for some painting we are having done, and decluttered a few shelves. These were very small tasks, but made the rooms where we made updates feel calmer. We also felt a sense of accomplishment.
- Limit Blue Light: This is a tough one, but all of the screens we look at all day can affect our sleep. Start by sleeping with your phone outside of the bedroom to avoid scrolling before bed. Or maybe use the downtime feature to limit the use of your phone to only texts and calls after a certain hour. When you wake up in the morning, give yourself an hour before you are diving into your phone or laptop. Spend time before bed reading instead of watching tv. Keep in mind that I say this as I am writing this post at night. There are times when this isn’t possible or times when we just don’t want to. It may be worth in this case investing in a pair of blue light glasses.
- Limit Commitments: Only commit to the things you truly want to do. Say no to the activities that feel draining, when you can. Remember, it is ok to take time for yourself and that “no, thank you” is a complete sentence.
- Practice Self-Compassion: If you feel less motivated in January, honor it. Know that it’s okay to rest and recharge during the darker, colder months. And if you don’t feel the urge to slow down, I challenge you to implement a little something from above anyways. In this busy world we could all benefit from stillness.
Living in the modern world can make it hard to slow down. We have work and social obligations and most of the world is doing the opposite of embracing the slow season. Everyday does not have to be perfectly curated and slow. However, just acknowledging the feeling and leaning into it when possible is enough. This mindset and lifestyle shift can support your health, specifically your circadian rhythm, immune system, mental health, and digestion. It can even foster creativity and an emotional reset, leaving you energized and nourished for Spring.
So if you are feeling the pressure of January, maybe this year try to give yourself space to welcome the Winter season. Honor your body and the season by preparing for the energy that Spring will demand.
