The Hedonistic Void That Is Late December...
...is it January yet?
I don’t know about you, but I find the days after Christmas and before New Year’s Day never go the way I think/hope they will.
I’m privileged to work at an organization that shuts down at noon on Christmas Eve and doesn’t re-open until January 2nd. As a result, I get a nice long break at this time of year, and I don’t even have to use vacation days.
I always imagine that I’ll use the extra time to get caught up on all sorts of household chores; to read a good book; to work on some crafts; to spend time playing with the cat; or to get my life organized and ready for the New Year.
Instead, I usually end up eating far too much food (including several pounds of sugar), lying around watching TV and movies, playing video games on the computer, and wondering what day it is.
It’s great, for a day or two. But it gets old, fast. As I write this, it’s the evening of December 29th. I still have 6 days of nothingness ahead of me, before I have to go back to my normal routine on January 5th.
And I don’t feel well.
I’ve not got on the scale, but I’m sure I’ve gained at least 5 pounds in the last three weeks (yes, the over-eating starts before the holidays). I’ve been staying up until stupid o’clock in the morning, and even though I get to sleep in, I’m still only averaging about 5 or 6 hours of sleep a night. I haven’t been getting outside for walks consistently (partly due to some nasty weather, but that’s really just an excuse, because a few years ago when I was a runner, I’d be out there no matter how cold, windy or snowy it was).
You would never know I’ve been a certified Health Coach. How embarrassing.
I feel like a big fat sloth. Except I don’t even have the upper body strength to hang from a branch.
I always look forward to these lazy last days of the year, but this evening, I’m just over it. I want my routine back. I’m craving healthy food. And a consistent 8 hours of sleep. And moving my body.
When I was a kid, and had a mother who fed me and put me to bed at a reasonable hour, and friends I could run around with all day outside until the street lights came on, I wanted the holidays to last forever. After 60 revolutions around the sun, I find myself wishing Mum was still around to tell me what to eat and when to call it a night.
I guess I’m just not that good at parenting myself, at least not when my usual routine gets disrupted.
Does any of this sound familiar? Can anyone relate?
I honestly thought by the time I hit my 60s I’d be a responsible adult. But I guess part of maturing is realizing that although we inevitably grow older, in some ways we never actually grow up.
You may have read my previous post about the One Small Thing project - adding one tiny move every day to my task list, to ensure consistent progress towards my goals. This is where it starts, for me - with my physical health.
I don’t want to feel like a bloated sloth. I want to wake up in the morning with energy. I want to put nourishing food into my body, cutting out the sugar, alcohol and empty carbs that make my blood sugar crash after the initial high. I want to move, even if it’s just 15 minutes per day of high-intensity exercise. I want to reprogram my brain so that I actually look forward to going to bed at 10 pm and getting up at 6 am, so I can ease gently into the day.
But that’s… a lot. Putting all these things on my list at once would be a recipe for inevitable failure. No, I’m starting with something simple.
Water.
In the past I’ve tried using a big 32 oz water bottle with every 8 oz marked on the side. The goal was to empty it twice a day - once in the morning, and once in the afternoon. Didn’t work for me. I take very small sips when I drink from a straw, and that bottle just seemed to go on forever. I was lucky to get through it once, let alone twice.
So in 2026 I’m trying something different. I’ll have an 8 oz glass of water at my desk. I’ll set alarms on my phone to remind me to drink throughout the day, and as a bonus, each time I have to get up to refill the glass, I’ll be moving my body instead of just sitting at the computer for hours on end.
Emptying and refilling the glass multiple times a day will create a sense of accomplishment. I’m also hoping it will help to tamp down the cravings for sugary and starchy foods. I’m setting up an if/then rule - if I get the urge to eat bad carbs, I’ll take a few sips of water instead.
This is my first One Small Thing. It’s tiny. It’s easy. And it will result in many health benefits over time.
Can’t wait for January!
What’s your One Small Thing? Want to join me in this simple habit change project? Let me know by emailing me at liz.powell@momentouslife.net. Let’s encourage each other!
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