The one ritual I never skip in December

Hello lovely human,

So this week has been an interesting lesson in practising what I preach…

In my work, I’m always seeking the most up-to-date, scientifically backed, and holistic approaches to looking after ourselves in body, mind, spirit. And yet, I found myself caught in the very pattern I so often support others to unravel: if I slow down, I’ll fall behind. I’ll miss something. I’ll let someone down.

So I kept pushing.
Working long days and late nights.
Surviving on 4 hours’ sleep.
Not letting go of anything, just adding more.
Just get through this day. This week. This client session. This class. This commitment.

But our bodies always tell the truth.

Thursday morning, I caught a glimpse of my vacant expression in the mirror and the bags under my eyes. And I finally asked: why am I pushing through? What am I afraid will happen if I don’t go to the class, finish the task, show up to the social?

The answer, as it so often is, was fear.
Fear of missing out.
Fear of not being ‘enough’.
Fear of falling behind.

But if I push through without giving myself the rest and nourishment I need, then I’m letting myself down. (And I’m on track to burn out and let everyone else down too…doh!)

So I finally had a word with myself.
I went to the doctor, started the antibiotics, cancelled a handful of commitments in my calendar, (instantly felt relief after doing this!) and slept for ten hours straight for the first time possibly ever.

Here’s what I remembered, and maybe you need to hear it too:
You can’t keep adding without subtracting.
To welcome in the new, we must make space.

If you started a 12-week plan here with me, or if you're just beginning to think about what your new year plan might look like, then this is the perfect moment to take a gentle step back. Before making more lists or setting new goals, it’s powerful to pause and get a clear, compassionate overview of what’s already happened.

Before you make a list of all the things you’re going to start next year…
Before you start planning how you’ll become more disciplined, more focused, healthier, fitter, generally a better human…

Stop.
Pause.
Breathe.

Before you do anything, take time to reflect on the year that’s just passed.

Because before we begin again, we need to know what we’re actually carrying; what to take with us, and what to leave behind.

I’ve created a little reflection exercise below to help you get clear. I do this every year in December and often tweak it and add/subtract bits. You don’t need to do it perfectly. Take what resonates. Leave the rest.

This is the one ritual I never skip in December. These questions have guided me every year and continue to be the non-negotiable for me to close out the current year and start the new one with a sense of space, clarity and gratitude. Enjoy!