We don’t know about you, but mid-January often feels more like the real start of the year than 1st January ever does.
A lot of us wake up on New Year’s Day feeling pretty rubbish, whether that’s from staying up the gluttony of Christmas food, staying up til midnight or having a glass or two to celebrate. Not exactly the strongest foundation for a fresh start...
Then there’s the wait for children to go back to school, work to properly resume, and in the case of 2026, for the snow to clear before any kind of routine can realistically begin. And yet, we’re still surrounded by the same message that we need to be adding new goals, new routines, new versions of ourselves we’re apparently meant to become overnight!
At Soul, we’re not convinced that January is the time to be adding anything. If nature has
anything to say about it, this is a month for slowing down, resting and taking stock.
This isn’t about a “new year, new me”. Some of our team love New Year’s resolutions, some of us are firmly against them. But wherever you sit, there’s no denying that January is tough enough without adding loads more tasks and pressure to your plate, but it can be a really good time to reflect on what’s serving you in your life, and what quietly isn’t anymore.
After the rush of December, January can feel a little strange. Decorations come down, the calendar looks emptier, and suddenly there’s space. In your home. In your diary. In your head.
That space can feel uncomfortable at first, but it can also be a great chance to reflect. Instead of asking what you want to change about yourself, it can be helpful to ask yourself these questions instead:
- What’s draining your energy?
- What feels nourishing?
- What habits, commitments or expectations feel heavy right now?
We talked about this in more depth on our podcast recently, where we explored the idea that January might not actually be the best time for big life overhauls at all. Nature is resting, so why do we expect ourselves to do the opposite?
It’s a great time to notice what a huge role your surroundings play in how you feel day to day, especially during the darker winter months. Your home and the atmosphere you create around yourself really matters. Soft lighting in the evenings, fewer screens before bed, hot baths, nice smells, simple routines.
Soul can be a part of that. Lighting a candle, using a room spray or adding a diffuser to your evening routine isn’t just about everything smelling lovely, though that’s obviously a bonus. It’s about signalling to your nervous system that it’s safe to slow down.
A January reset doesn’t have to mean doing more. Often, it’s about doing less.