Is December the cosiest or busiest time of the year?

December is the busiest time of the year for many industries such as entertainment and art, retail, finance, investment banking, and many more. Even though economy is low and many people decide to boycott the holiday shopping routine for moral and political reasons, shops are open as usual, concerts are scheduled, and work has to be done like every year.

When I was younger, I loved and hated this time of the year equally. Playing different music instruments meant to prepare for Christmas concerts. It was usually the time to organise fundraisers and offer opportunities to help when people felt particularly charitable. I was still at school and teaching guitar lessons and this meant to practice my own pieces while teaching easier songs to my own guitar students. The concerts brought a lot of relief when the songs were played, the school raised the money they had hoped, and parents left impressed with what they had been presented with. The creative stress felt weirdly good, but I did use time afterwards to recover and gain energy back.

Later in life, I got into a very different type of year-end stress. It was more related to preparing financial documents and reports for the upcoming end of the financial year. At the same time, operations had to be prepared in a way that the gap between Christmas and New Year's Eve did not hurt the company I was working for. This meant extra preparation and automation while taking part in the social obligations during that time of the year. The Christmas parties did not really reduce the stress on the upcoming deadlines.

Being influenced by many cultures, I was always able to distance myself from Christmas to reflect on this year-end madness. Except for recent years, shopping malls were particularly busy in December. People seemed to rush from shop to shop to get the best deal on the best gifts for their loved ones or colleagues. Observing this with a healthy distance helped me to understand that we are not obligated to participate in this cycle. The celebration of Christ's birth was moved from summer into the midst of winter to have them collide with pagan festivals. The names of the months do not correspond with the natural beginning of the year (in March) and it almost feels like it confuses our entire system.

Nature hibernates during winter. Why would humans be any different?

Running around, chasing items from shops, researching the best dinner recipes, wrapping gifts, picking family members up from airports and train stations, preparing Christmas traditions for the children (today is St. Nikolaus Day and they might expect chocolates in their shoes, for example) while working on a higher capacity in the office.

Can't you feel it how you want to sleep longer, stay inside, move less, sit down, rest, reset, recover, and restore?

It has become a tradition and habit to make December busy while we are being sold the idea that it is the cosiest time of the year. To me, the collective discomfort and stress are visible.

Nowadays, I take things slow and my studio is closed for 2 entire weeks around Christmas and New Year's. In January, I'll offer Reiki circles for those who would like to restore their natural hibernation state. Use the contact button below to find out more about it. Updates will follow soon on the Services & Bookings page.

What can you do to protect your energy in the month of December?

Say 'no' where possible. Sometimes your mind tends to say 'yes' more often during stressful times. Remind yourself that you have permission to decline requests even if they are meant to be fun. Social stress is real too.

Stay connected to yourself. Do not forget to take breaks to check in with yourself and see how you feel. Does this day still go the way you intended it to go? Did you get tempted to go on an unexpected side quest? What actions can you take to get more aligned with your own intentions?

Accept that things will go wrong or stay out of your control. Especially when it comes to the annual interactions within the family, things get out of hand easily. Don't be too hard on yourself. Expect that some things will take a different turn even if you tried really really hard. This is not proof of your failure, it is the same issue many people have during this time of the year. Don't add to your stress by blaming yourself for the demanding boss or the antisocial uncle. Reflect if this is something you can do something about within the next half hour. If not, let it go just for now. But do reflect on these matters after the holidays to see if you can generate ideas for general changes and improvements for next year. Maybe the toxic uncle does not have to be invited again.

Plan for extra resources. My secret weapon during December was the extra "shopping trip" that I took to get a massage. Since I knew that I was the main organiser for things, I would excuse myself easily by saying, I needed extra ingredients for a certain dish I had planned to prepare when I was really attending my 45min massage appointment. Or I would invite some family members for a day at the salon where I could vent to my favourite hair dresser. It did not fix everything. But it surely helps to plan for extra resources. It creates a planned break that everyone deserves.

Look out for any stress symptoms and manage them early on. Autumn is the best time to already look out for your immune system. Use foods and ingredients that help you stay healthy. If there is a particular practice that keeps your mood stable and positive, do not pause it during the month of December. If you have symptoms, masking them is not going to help you during winter. Research how you can keep your body temperature at a healthy level. Vitamin C is easy to take in and should be one of your daily intakes. If you do catch something, do not go to work like this. Your body is already signalling that it is going over the limit. Even if you feel like you can pull through, you might make another person a carrier for something avoidable. During this season many of your friends and colleagues are surrounded by elderly family members. There are many good reasons to recover and allow yourself a day/a week off.

Plan your recovery after a stressful time. Do not rush from one exhausting month to the next. Your system needs recovery. If you need to reset your energy, seek help from a Reiki Healer. The Zohalogy Studio will offer Reiki circles in January to help you recover effectively.

Happy hibernation season!