Lydia Millen’s Guide to Slowing Down and Starting the Year With Intention

There’s something satisfying about opening a new diary with 365 fresh pages to fill. Those fresh pages represent a clean slate. Fresh dreams. Fresh opportunities. And a fresh outlook for the months ahead. It’s why, for all of the negative press it receives, I welcome January with open arms.

That being said, I haven’t always felt this way. Once upon a time, I viewed winter as a tale of two halves. The arrival of December was always marked with great enthusiasm. After weeks of anticipation and counting down, at long last, December was here.

Once the magic, sparkle and excitement of the festive period were over, however, I struggled to see what a post-Christmas winter could offer. As if on cue, conversations about how dark and miserable it was outside would emerge in small talk, like a winter cough that felt inevitable and impossible to shift. That nip in the air that felt so festive during the run-up to Christmas suddenly felt not so magical two weeks into January, when you’re running late and need to defrost your car.

Somewhere along the line, though, that narrative grew old for me. I became bored of wasting my energy begrudging a season that would return year on year, however much I and others willed it not to. Not to mention, I became fed up with looking outside and letting the weather dictate my mood and, in turn, my overall wellbeing.

This is why, though I still see winter as a tale of two halves, nowadays I’m relieved to say that I relish both sides of the New Year celebrations and can say, hand on heart, that I’ve grown to cherish what midwinter offers.

I celebrate the excuses it brings to retreat from the world, hibernate as the darkness falls, and embrace a slower, gentler pace of life. Moments of magic are found in watching the sun wake up through bare trees as I sip my first hot coffee of the day. The freedom that long nights with no plans provide, giving us permission to do absolutely nothing. Mid-afternoon sunsets that set the sky ablaze, reminding us that colour can be found year-round if we look for it. The gift of silence, when much of nature is still, offers a welcome contrast to the noise of our busy lives.

At this time of year, the bare trees offer a welcome reminder that we all deserve the time to strip away anything that didn’t serve us in the previous year, ready to bloom again on our own terms when the time is right.

My tips for embracing the new year with intention and excitement

• Instead of prioritising the weather forecast above your plans, prioritise the plan and make the weather work around it. As they say, there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad weather wear. Getting outside in nature is just as important in the winter months, so plan to go for a walk at least once a week to blow off those New Year cobwebs and don’t let any drizzly weather stand in your way.
• Whether you’re in a city or the countryside, pay attention to what your senses observe when you step outside and how that subtly changes as the year progresses. There is so much beauty to be found if we are willing to look for it. How have the colours changed? What can you hear? What can you smell? This practice helps you stay in the present moment and mitigates the pressure of the “new year, new you” messaging that can feel so overwhelming.
• Seek inspiration from the hibernating trees, conserving their resources all around you and keep an eye on how your own energy fluctuates through midwinter. If you have started January full of energy and ready to tackle your new year goals, that’s fantastic. If, however, you’re still warming up, know that small steps and slowly established habits will be easier to maintain in the months ahead. There is no need to rush. You have everything you need within you.
• Use the longer January evenings as opportunities for reconnection with yourself. After the social whirl of December, now is a great time to reconnect with the values and goals you want to focus on in the coming year. If you’ve never tried journaling, perhaps this is the time to start. Take the time to note what you’re grateful for, what you enjoyed in the previous year and want to continue, and what you feel ready to leave behind. This practice allows you to carve out goals that are meaningful to you, not just those you feel you should pursue.

The Evergreen Journal by Lydia Millen is out now at Orion Spring