Here we are - a brand-new year. Fresh calendars, fresh notebooks, fresh hopes… and absolutely no chance I’m starting anything intense in January. Let’s face it: January in Scotland is tough. It’s dark, freezing, and the kind of cold that makes you question every decision that involves leaving the house. So, if you’re not jumping into big resolutions today, you’re in very good company.
January gets a bit of a reputation as the month for reinvention, transformation, and becoming your “new self.” But honestly? I’m perfectly happy coorie-ing in, keeping warm, eating leftovers, and watching far too much telly. If that’s not the true spirit of Scottish wellbeing, I don’t know what is.
My own “new year goals” are fairly realistic this year. I would like to get into pilates properly. I’ve tried it before, and I know how good it is for my body - especially as I get a little older and creak a bit more than I used to. But I’m also not daft. I’ll be easing into it gently with a YouTube class or two… and I won’t be committing to anything official until at least February. February feels like the true start of the year anyway, doesn’t it?
And while the world is shouting about detoxing, decluttering, goals, discipline, habits, and “new me” energy, I’m keeping my January simple: warmth, comfort, softness, and little daily things that help me feel human.
One of those things - and I’m completely biased but also completely right - is cosy candles. January is actually the month where candles matter most. Before Christmas, they’re part of the atmosphere. In January, they’re practically a wellbeing tool. When the days are short and the mornings are pitch black, that soft flicker of light and a gentle scent can lift a room - and your mood - in seconds.
You don’t need to overhaul your life this month. You don’t need to wake up at 5am, join a gym, eat lettuce for breakfast, or reinvent your entire personality. You can simply coorie in, light something beautiful, breathe, stretch, rest, and move gently toward whatever February-You decides she wants.
So, here’s to a new year - not the pressured, perfect kind, but the real kind. The soft-start kind. The “let’s just survive January” kind. The “maybe I’ll try pilates later” kind. The kind where a warm blanket, a cosy candle, and a bit of peace feel like the right way to begin.
Here’s to new beginnings… but also to taking your time. Happy New Year, lovely people.
