A mid month catch up: January

Well hi there you lovely things! Welcome to my mid month catch up for January – or what could be looked at as my fourth post that isn’t really about anything in particular in a row.

I’m not entirely convinced that that’s ideal, but the reason I started these monthly posts was to anchor myself to this little part of the internet in more of a pressure-free way, and it does seem to have worked. I am of course hoping to revive my travel diaries, fluffy fashion posts and *think pieces* (I use the term somewhat reluctantly) over the coming weeks, but my attitude towards getting back to them feels emblematic of my whole approach to January – which is essentially to ease myself back in.

I’m writing this from the dining table; it’s 6:30pm and I’m enjoying the fact that I’m in pyjamas already. It feels like a novelty I haven’t had in a while to be at home with a whole evening ahead of me and no urgent must-complete-now task standing in my way. My aims for this month are mostly just about getting started; beginning to move, taking small steps, and counting all progress as a positive, however minimal it is.

I’ve taken this into all of the different parts of my life; work, exercise, the house, blogging. Admittedly, January started in much the same manic vein as December finished, but once that first week was over and I went back to more normal hours and a more manageable intensity at work I had a few days of clearing the fog from my head and then started looking to life in this year.

So far, I like it very much. I’ve been turning my attention to several different things – some of which have been on my to do list for a while and I really do need to get done, some of which I just want to do – in what feels like a soft, slow way, and I’ve wholeheartedly committed to not getting myself in a tizz this early in the year.

We’ve started reorganising the flat room by room (a task I’ve seen fit to assign an entire blog post to in a couple of weeks – riveting stuff, I can tell you that much), we’ve been making time for a walk outside each weekend, and we’ve been going to bed pre-11pm more often than not.

Part of me hates to mention exercise since it’s January and it feeds into the weird frantic wellness kick that happens this time of year, but firstly exercise never not a part of my life, and secondly I can’t deny that it’s been a highlight for me this month so far. After a couple of weeks off over Christmas, diving head first into my usual gym routine wasn’t looking very appealing, so instead I’ve been essentially just turning up to the gym and having a play on whatever takes my fancy at the time. My work life in December always messes with the regularity with which I’m able to go and leaves me sticking to the same few things when I do, so trying exercises that haven’t been part of my routine for a while, getting back to running and having a long stretch/lie on the floor at the end of every visit has felt like a real joy.

What else have I been up to? I’ve raced through my first book of the year (You, in case you’re wondering – v.good) and we’ve worked our way through our first series (The Staircase – ditto). My first Instagram advert of the year is complete (it was for vegan PIZZA and it was a delight). My inbox is looking like less of a car crash. My wardrobe has two new additions, which I’m sure will find their way onto here soon.

The rest of the month is for more of the same; quiet progressions for getting myself back on track, even if it does take all of January. I’ve got a girls weekend with my school friends in a cottage not too far from here booked for a couple of weeks time, which may or may not involve matching pyjamas, and I’m hugely excited for it. I’m toying with the idea of having one weekend off social media a month this year, and that’s set to be my first one.

Oh – and most excitingly, I only went a booked a trip Cuba, didn’t I?! As someone who simply can’t keep her camera away when there’s a classic car about, I’m expecting it to be permanently glued to my hand during our time there. We have 15 nights in March to play with and no itinerary to speak of (except the fact that we’re flying into and out of Havana), so if you do happen to have recommendations or advice, please drop them my way!

In summary; January feels like gradually lowering myself into a hot bath. A hot bath full of tasks, sure, but there’s a candle burning and a bath tray with a book on it, so it’s A-ok with me. Since I’m in the practice of easing myself in this month I should probably also say that I’m not going to be aiming for more than I can physically produce on the blog front, so posts won’t be super frequent. It’s been clear for some time that two posts a week alongside my day job and trying to be a functioning human isn’t feasible for me personally, so it’s no longer my plan to try to get back to that.

As I was such a blogging failure last year, this doesn’t necessarily mean less content; it hopefully means more, because although they won’t be as frequent as they were in certain months, they will be more consistent. I hope you stick around!

Finally, a big thank you to lovely online brand Rani & Co for the sweatshirt I’m wearing in these photos which they were kind enough to send my way – combining leopard print and slogan clothing was always going to be an excellent idea in my book.

How’s January going for you? Do you have any particular focus or intentions for the month? Until next time x