What do you need this time of year?
Whether you've been working or resting these past weeks, I hope you're entering 2022 in a way that feels sweet and right for you.
We do not all need the same thing at this time of year (or indeed at any time), but the noise in January, implying that we do, can be especially challenging to cut through.
Our social media feeds are full of exercises and prompts to help us ‘make the most’ of the transition between one year and the next. The messages we receive from our employers may imply there is a 'right way' to begin 2022, an expectation about the energy levels we should be feeling and displaying. Our suspicion that we are ‘doing it wrong’ can add to the load we are already carrying.
I am hopeful that the events of the past two years have encouraged us to be more compassionate with ourselves, and one another, but it's also true that this is often easier said than done.
The conclusion I have drawn, is that the best thing we can do for ourselves in January, is no different to any other time of the year. It is to trust our instincts about what we need:
...If you feel inspired to create a vision board, plan, create lists and intentions, then follow that thread
...If you are full of new year energy, optimism and enthusiasm, allow that energy to infuse your days
...If you don't feel like reviewing 2021, and distilling what you have learned, then trust that today is not the right time for you to do so
...Maybe you’re nervous about the year ahead. The uncertainty of it all. It is no wonder. You might feel moved to take one day at a time, focusing on the present moment. Not even thinking about tomorrow
...You may be recovering from illness. Grieving the year you hoped to have and accepting the one that materialised. If so, what small adjustments might you make take the pressure off yourself as you go back to work?
Whatever your experience, I invite you to turn inward, and trust your own knowing about how to approach this month. Make small adjustments in line with what you notice, and pay attention to how this affects your experience of work and life beyond it over the coming weeks.
I'm wishing you everything good for the year that lies ahead of us :)
