Going Gently Into January

Jan 15

Jan 15 Going Gently Into January

Image: Taken at Castle Semple Loch, Renfrewshire

With her short daylight hours, we simultaneously bemoan January, whilst declaring that her arrival will ensure this is the year we become who we truly want to be. This year, after the hustle and festive bustle of December, I am trying a different tack, and rather than pour my energy into resolutions I am recognising this as a month to rejuvenate everything.

Instead of just ‘getting through’ the short days, I am endeavouring to use them to gently nourish and restore: Getting plenty of sleep, walking outside each day {especially if it’s sunny}, running warm baths and cooking hearty food - in short I am all-but hibernating to gather the energy that will be required for the year that stretches ahead.

With the shortest day already passed, we are on - if not the home straight - then at least the right track, towards the welcome warmth of spring. I even noticed today that the gnarly bulbs I pushed into the earth at random while back, have, all-of-a-sudden sprouted stocky, green shoots - a reassuring reminder of the season that lies ahead.

So, much like those sturdy shoots, I am in no rush to blossom or force myself out just yet, but rather will be taking the coming weeks day by day, focussing on the task in hand. As part of this there are a few things I am incorporating to brighten the dark evenings and keep any creeping S.A.D. symptoms at bay.

Taking regular saunas In the absence of being able to lie out in the kind of sunshine that warms your bones, a warming sauna can be hugely comforting. For maximum benefit and an authentic Scandinavian experience, relax inside for 10 mins, before hopping out into an ice-cold plunge pool/bath or rub ice against your skin to get the blood flowing - sure, the first time is terrifying, but it does get weirdly addictive. If you don’t have access to a sauna try a daily cold rinse after your morning shower.

View from the sauna at the Juvet Landscape Hotel in Norway

Making a hot chocolate that nourishes I am really not into food deprivation, least of all this month, but I am all for taking a delicious thing and making it a bit more nourishing, hence this Healthier hot chocolate recipe…

Wash and remove stones from 2-3 medjool dates and add to half a cup of milk {any you fancy} and half of water.

Blitz in a juicer/blender well, until there are no lumps

Stir in 1.5 tbsp of raw cocoa with a little pinch of a tiny pinch of cinnamon and one of sea salt {Maldon is the best}

Warm on the hob for a few mins, stirring leisurely but ensuring it doesn’t boil.

Pour carefully {I personally like to sieve} into your favourite mug and enjoy slowly, whilst watching the birds.

Dig out a heavy quilt My Godmother made a huge and beautiful, quilt for me {I mean us} as a wedding gift last summer, and since the temperatures dropped it is regularly dragged from our bed down onto the sofa at weekends - and occasionally - even into the study where I write alongside a notable draft from the lovely old sash window. In the words of Marie Kondo, it simply ‘sparks joy’ each time I wrap up in it.

Some light reading For some a good novel is the thing to burrow into this month - something escapist, perhaps set on a Mediterranean island. I however always seem to find myself finishing up ‘leftover’ books at the start of the year; the ones I started, and then, for whatever reason, put down again. Closing the final page on these always gives me a sense of achievement and is an easy win early-on in the year and means I can clear the pile beside the bed to make way for fresh titles next month.

Revive a favourite jumper I am not one for hauling-in more stuff post-Christmas, so now feels a good time to revive a really great jumper that may have become neglected. Like an episode of Friends or a well-thumbed novel it has seen you through some dark times - like that time your boyfriend cancelled your dinner plans and you happened-upon him having dinner in the same restaurant with another girl {never happened} and you cried into it for a week; or the Cornwall summer where it kept you warm each night on the beach over denim shorts and sun-kissed legs.

So to return the favours said jumper has done you, take the time to hand wash it, dry it flat, and maybe even give it a good de-bobble {either buy a proper one or use a razor}. After a moth-atrocity last September I lost just such a woollen friend, so treated myself to this oversized delight from the guys at Archie Foal, and have barely taken it off since. It is knitted in England and also comes in red…a lesser woman would be tempted.

Book a course Silver-smithing? Pottery? Glass-blowing? If you have always wanted to take up a particular craft, or improve a fledgling skill, why not use the lobe evenings of January to book a class? I had the pleasure of researching the UK’s best marmalade-making courses for the latest issue of Country Living magazine and am delighted to be joining Sara Ward among the chickens and bees in her garden at Hen Corner next week, where she teaches visitors to make a classic marmalade and bake an accompanying loaf. Ideal January fodder if you ask me.

Happy restoring and rejuvenating x