Seasonal self-care to start the new year

Since moving to the UK many years ago, the new year can feel a bit out of synch for me. I feel the buzz and excitement of a fresh start and time to renew my goals and intentions for what I want to achieve, and a part of me wants to ‘go, go, go’ and hit the ground running. But coupled with that, it is still the dead of winter in the northern hemisphere, and I find myself naturally wanting to hibernate, take it easy and rest more, until the spring comes and I know I’ll have more energy as the days get longer and warmer.

Even though the rest of the world seems to be going full speed ahead, particularly in the health world with full on diet plans and exercise regimes, I still think it feels right to go inwards and spend more time doing nourishing things which warm me up – like drinking lots of cups of tea, making warming broths, curries and soups, eating seasonal, roasted root vegetables; taking naps when I can and doing gentle exercises like yin yoga and walking. I also love to spend time reviewing the year past, what I want to continue, what I want to let go of and/or forgive, and looking ahead to what I want for myself in the upcoming year. These cold, dark weeks at the start of the year are a fitting time to do this.

Honouring the season I am in and how my body (and mind and soul) feels is a big part of my more recent self-care and I am learning that by listening to my body and what it intuitively wants things actually flow more naturally and I don’t feel like I’m pushing so hard.

So, if you are like me and feeling the winter seasonal pull more may I suggest you try listening to what your body needs and not what you or society think you need.

I’d love to know if you have any particular new year practices that go against the norm, whether you are in the northern or southern hemisphere, please comment below.

Photo by Erica Li on Unsplash