You’ll thank me for this one!

I’m going to be really honest with you right from the outset. I’m working really hard at the moment, or ‘smart’ as I teach my kids (they love it when I go on about working smart, it’s their very fave). You know how this time of year is, all the life stuff and work stuff, and I love to box it all off with plenty of time to feel I’ve sufficiently cleared the decks ready for a big old chunk of present time off over the festivities.

Being organised is something I properly enjoy! Presents bought, distribution, wrapping and gift exchange meet-ups are all organised, work has been planned into the new year and I’m currently in the process of getting it all completed ready to deliver some massively impactful stuff I’ve got lined up to bring to you in 2025. I’m SO excited!

BUT, if you’ve known me for a long time, you’ll know that regardless of what ‘jobs’ I have underway, I am nothing if not committed to my mental and physical health and stability. Without that, what’s the point in any of it? So around the ‘doing,’ you better believe there is plenty of commitment to sleep, hot baths with Epsom salts, meditating, being quiet (albeit just on car journeys and local errand walks at the moment), and my training (gym/exercise). So yes, although I’m doing lots, it’s all very intentional, and I know it’s all to the end of having a big old present break to enjoy the things that fill my heart with the people who very much do the same.

Which brings me on to the permission slip I’d like to hand you right now, and all the reasons why I’d like you to accept it and cash it in for yourself graciously.

For you to do this, I feel it necessary for you to understand the nervous system's connection to the seasons. This stuff is FASCINATING!

Here we go…

As daylight decreases, our bodies naturally produce more melatonin. You might know melatonin as the hormone that regulates our sleep? But it does more than that, it also plays a vital role in telling our bodies it’s time to slow down.

Think of melatonin as your body’s natural signal producer, telling you to stop, rest, and restore. Yes, believe it or not, we are not machines, not robots, and not infallible. Our bodies need to repair, restore, recharge, recover (whatever other word starting with ‘r’ you wish to include here is fine. Who knew there were so many until I started typing them?). We are humans, with bodies that need time to physically recover. It’s when we ignore this entirely natural process that the metaphorical sh*t starts to hit the (also metaphorical) fan.

And this is far from a modern phenomenon, it’s actual real sciencey evolution stuff!

Historically, winter was a time when food was scarce, days were shorter, and conserving energy was essential for survival. Slowing down, resting, and staying close to other people wasn’t a choice, it was a biological necessity.

And that’s the thing this modern-day way of living often has us forget. We are, of course, still animals at our core. Despite our fast-paced, modern lives, our bodies are still wired to sync up with these natural rhythms. So, when you feel the need, the pull almost, to rest more, to cocoon at home, or to say no to extra commitments, that’s not laziness, it’s actually biology in action working just as it should!

Slowing down supports your nervous system in staying regulated, meaning it can shift naturally between active states and rest states without getting stuck in survival mode.

And why do we not want to get stuck?

When your nervous system gets stuck in survival mode (think fight-or-flight), it impacts not only your health but also your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your ability to really enjoy your life. Rubbish!

Overwhelm creeps in, illnesses take over, and instead of being present and enjoying, you find yourself always on high alert, worrying you’ve forgotten something or anticipating what could possibly go wrong, even when everything is actually fine and dandy, and dare I say, even really lovely.

And it’s Christmas time! You deserve to ENJOY it! I give you permission!

So before I sign off, I want to leave you with a few ideas you can weave in to help you really nurture your nervous system, so you really can enjoy this time of year.

Now, nervous systems don’t respond to words, you can’t ‘tell’ them they are safe, you have to ‘show’ your nervous system it's safe through signals of safety you provide via your senses.

Here are some suggestions…

• Sit on the sofa with someone you love and really intentionally be there, no phones, no distractions. It doesn’t matter if you’re watching something together, chatting, eating, or just sitting in silence. Just be together and soak it in.
• Cook something simple that fills the house with that cosy smell of home! You choose what it is. You know what you love the smell of. Smells can be SO regulating if they are good ones!
• Create your own dreamy comfort. Is it a favourite tracksuit, a pair of socks, a jumper, or a blanket? Whatever it is, put it on, wrap yourself in it, snuggle into your cosiness. What a treat!
• Make a cup of something warm and delicious; hot chocolate, builders tea, chai latte, matcha or mulled wine maybe? Just sit with it. Feel the warmth of the mug in your hands (choose a mug shape or texture that feels good too!), inhale the smell gently, take that first sip, and really notice how it feels. Beauts.
• And finally, give yourself time to just be. To sit by the fire, at the kitchen table, in a cosy corner, whatever feels good, and just notice your breath. Feel the warmth around you, the stillness. Let it remind you it’s safe to stop, if only for a short while. Bliss.

Enjoy.