Wellness Question - December

This time of year if often busy, stressful, and overwhelming. Our emotions can be heightened and our resilience may be decreased. But why? We're doing things that we are supposed to enjoy - gathering together and celebrating, enjoying the season. Yet a lot of us, especially in more recent times, simply don't. And it's because we're working in opposition to our instincts.

As we move through both the seasonal and elemental wheel, as well as note how other mammals within the northern hemisphere respond, turning inward and resting more is biologically natural. Forcing our bodies to step outside of the natural rhythms we've evolved with and are hardwired for is always hard, but now in the darkest times of the year, it becomes even more of a strain. The more we push ourselves to be up in the down season, to move quickly in the slow season, the more tension we carry. This can lead to impatience with others and a lack of any real self care.

So why do we do it? Why do we feel the constant need to meet other expectations to our own detriment? Maybe it is so ingrained that we are supposed to do the holiday season a certain way that we feel guilty if we don't meet a standard that someone else set for us. So what if instead we made new traditions that honoured the seasons of the earth that we are so intricately tied to? What if we went back to simpler, cozier, more connected celebrations with less pressure, less stress, and more love?

However you're spending your holiday season, we hope you all have time to relax and enjoy it!!