Shouldn't we be hibernating right now?

I don't know about you, but I feel like this is what my whole body is screaming at me at the moment. And judging by the messages I've been getting from clients and friends, I'm far from alone in this.

For most of us, the last stretch of the year is also the busiest, the fastest, the exhaustingest.

Projects to finish at work, presents to buy, festivities to prepare... The list doesn't end. But our energy does.

While it's vital that we pace ourselves if we don't want to start 2026 already burnt out, I appreciate that we may not have much choice in what we fill our days with at the moment.

I've noticed that even my clients who are the most diligent with their routines are struggling to fit them in at the moment. So instead of adding more to your plate, here's what I want you to give yourself permission to subtract:

• Allow yourself to slow down.​
  We aren't special, we aren't built different than everything else in the natural world. We are meant to slow down during the winter months, and it's okay to do so.
  That might mean being less productive, doing less strenuous workouts, allowing yourself time where you withdraw from the world. If you can do it, do it, and don't bring guilt with you.
  ​
  I'm still learning this one. Just yesterday I caught myself feeling frustrated and disappointed in myself because I didn't have the energy to tick all the tasks I had set myself for the day.
  ​
• Allow yourself to say no.​
  No to social events, no to exhausting trips, no to extra chores, no to anything that drains you.
  It took me way too many years to realise I was an adult now and allowed to say no without falling victim to guilt-tripping.
  ​
• Allow yourself to climb up your priority list.​
  You cannot pour from an empty cup. Your health, mental or physical, isn't worth less than a work project or a social event. Save some of your precious time for yourself, be it for a 3-minute breathing practice, a 10-minute yoga routine or a 30-minute nap with your cat purring by your side. The world will not stop spinning, I promise.

If one of these permissions resonated with you, I'd love to hear which one. But honestly, just reading this and giving yourself a moment to breathe is already enough.

Take care 🧡

Clem