Chrimbo Limbo
Happy New Year! It’s the first day of 2019 and this time of year is key for coaches with everyone making new year’s resolutions and plans. Fresh starts and change are in the air…
However before I talk about what’s to come, I wanted to acknowledge the season that we are just leaving. I am probably late to the party but I recently heard the phrase “Chrimbo Limbo” for the first time. This is the time in between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day and also a type of alternate universe where grown adults sit around in pyjamas watching TV tucking into selection boxes!! From what I’ve seen on social media, people either love it or seem to struggle with it and to be honest I can see it from both sides. Here are some of the things that I think make it great but can also make it a challenge:
1.) Lack of routine: when our lives are so busy the other 50 weeks of the year, it can feel very strange to have days on end where we don’t have to get up early, commute, go to bed at a certain time and exercise routines seem to be thrown out of the window. Duvet days with Netflix, tea and chocolate can be cosy and relaxing as can nights with an endless supply of food and booze. But routine often is one of the things that holds us together during the rest of the year and without it, we have too much time to think and negative thoughts sometimes come up. At any other time of the year if I had a day off, I would have a clear plan so in the last few years though, I have actually had to teach myself to appreciate the chill-out time and line up some boxsets or books for the days when I know that nothing is happening. With regards to unwanted thoughts or emotions, they are probably surfacing during this down time without the usual distractions – let them and get them out of your system.
2.) Eat, drink & be merry: by the time Christmas Eve comes, you will more than likely have had a few drink-fuelled nights with Christmas parties etc. and then there is the day itself, Stephen’s Day and copious amounts of dinners in between it and New Years. It never seems to end. This can be great fun and seem like an endless holiday but often the excess of everything can make us feel a bit lethargic and unhealthy. I generally get to a point where I need to stop and go and do a fruit & veg shop in order to start feeling a bit more human.
3.) Family: this is what Christmas is all about right? I love getting to spend time with my family and even better now there are a couple of smallies among us. I think the thing that gets people in the Chrimbo Limbo phase is that everyone is used to living their own lives so an extended period with relations where you are all together sometimes feels a bit strange. I think everyone needs to decide on an individual basis depending on your circumstances what you want to go to, what you need to go to and what you would prefer to avoid….ideally without falling out with anyone!
4.) Friends: even with loads of time off, it can be hard to catch up with friends as we are all here, there and everywhere. For me, planning is the key to ensuring you get to see who you want to see. I have a few people that I get dates in the diary with before the festivities even get started and this also gives me a time to escape from the family bubble and hear about other people’s lives.
5.) Laziness: with such busy lives it is rare we give ourselves permissions to properly lounge around. We need to do this every so often to relax and recharge. The only problem is if you are used to being active the rest of the year and then you go for a a couple of weeks with no exercise coupled with a lot of wine and gin, your body and mind can be affected by both the lack of endorphins and the depressants in the alcohol. For the last two years, I have tried to do a few days exercise in the weeks leading up to the big day and between 24th and 31st, I generally try to do a short run or a walk every day. It has really worked wonders and then come New Year’s Day, I don’t feel like I am starting from scratch.
So how was your Chrimbo Limbo? Take a few minutes to figure out what worked and what didn’t during and write it down. Resolve now to make changes, however small, to ensure that you look after yourself this time next year. If you need help with this, please give me a shout, Elaine x