However you spend the end of a year, whether traveling, gathering with family and friends, going out to holiday parties, and so on, most of us end the year exhausted. The idea of starting a new year, kids going back to school, adults returning to work, and the endless list of New Year’s resolutions can make the first month of January as exhausting as the last. We go from December 31st to January 1st, eager for new beginnings. The list is long… I will eat better, exercise more, wake up earlier, and be less on my phone. At the same time, work expects us to get back into January refreshed, ready to tackle the new year with enthusiasm, ideas, and a long to-do list. There are a high number of meetings during that first week. We all drink the Kool-Aid and collectively feed each other the new-year energy that everything is possible and that things will be different this year.
Yet, what if this is all psychological? From a biological perspective, January should be our most restful month. The idea of going from December 31st to January 1st does not affect our natural world. Not as much as the winter solstice. Starting with the winter solstice or the first day of winter in the northern hemisphere, our days are colder, and nature goes into deep sleep to conserve energy, ready to be at its best come spring. What do we humans do? We plan, add activities, and act as if we are ready to tackle the world. If you tap into your internal biology, you might find it wants to slow down, take in all the holiday activities, rest, and regroup. January should be known as month zero. Something along the lines of “expect zero from me, except what is crucial” to “I’ll use the month to think how the rest of the year should go.” As month zero, January should be a slow month. Even if work and school have high expectations, give yourself the ability to slow down in the evenings and weekends (or whenever you have off). Make warm and comforting meals. Read that book. Take that walk. Watch that movie. When you are ready, set your intentions for the year.