A gentle guide to dealing with the January pressure
Much like the rest of the country, I’ve spent this week getting back to normality after the Christmas break. I started going to bed at a reasonable time again, ate meals that actually contained some vegetables, and got stuck into the to do list that I made for myself way back in December.
And I’ll admit - I’ve found this return to real life a little bit difficult. Not getting back to my work (it has been a total JOY to catch up with my lovely clients this week), not getting back into a routine (I was more than ready to have some structure in my life again), and not even all of the low-key evenings at home (lets face it, I’m 30, nights curled up on the sofa are totally my fave).
No, the thing that I’ve struggled with this week is all of the pressure. All of the noise. All of the expectation that I’ve been putting on myself to get back to it and sort everything out and rattle through my to do list like some sort of superhuman. And I know I’m not the only one, because every single client I’ve spoken to this week has articulated the same sort of feeling.
There’s something about this first stretch of the year that makes us feel like we should be setting lofty goals or striving for something bigger in life. It makes us feel like we need to make huge changes, even if we’re absolutely content with the life we already have. And more than anything, it makes us feel like we’re not enough. That our lives aren’t enough. That we have to fix something about ourselves and become better in some way.
But we don’t. We really don’t. We are all absolutely enough as we are - and we all know by now that the only people who want us to believe otherwise are the people trying to sell us something. It’s a proven cycle that works - the media campaigns kick in, we start feeling like we need to DO something, and before we know it, we’ve blown a load of cash on things we’ll never use, or we’re racking up a list of new year goals longer than both arms.
I’ve fallen for that cycle so many times. Heck, I was really very close to falling for it this week, such was the urge to do something, anything (or buy something, anything) that made me feel like a worthy human. There was a big part of me that wanted to sign up for a marathon or book an incredible trip or start redecorating our bedroom, just so it felt like I was harnessing the January energy in some way.
But the truth is, none of those things are what I need right now. I know that deep down, but it’s so easy to get swept up in the noise of this month. It was so easy for me to forget about all the gentle plans I have for this year, to forget about all of the gradual progress I want to make in my business, and instead feel like I needed to be nailing life in a way that would look impressive on Instagram.
I wanted to share that here today in case you’re also feeling that pressure. I’m someone who has been professionally trained to help other people with this sort of thing, and I still find it SO challenging. And I thought I’d share the same advice that I’ve been sharing with my clients this week, the same advice that I’ve been repeating in my own mind over and over again: be gentle with yourself.
Slow down. Listen to what it is that your intuition is trying to tell you. Spend a little less time scrolling Instagram. Go to bed a little bit earlier. Move your body in a way that feels really good to you. Read a book. Do anything that nourishes you and gives you the gift of space. Because it’s in that space that you’ll figure out what you really want. It’s in that space that you’ll find your clarity.
And remember - there ares till 51 weeks of 2020 left. 51 weeks to make this year awesome. 51 weeks to achieve something that you’re proud of. You don’t have to do it all right now.
