We’re half way there, and definitely living on a prayer this year.

Today it’s Monday, and in my childhood was traditionally the day we were allowed to start thinking of Christmas because my younger brother had the misfortune to be born in December (My three brothers organised life well: Eldest born in October, Second in November, Youngest in December. It was like a ready made Christmas Countdown). We couldn’t decorate or put up the tree until after the 14th *just because* it was his birthday.

I’m sorry for anyone who has a birthday in December and doesn’t like it. I know friends who feel their December birthdays are swallowed up in the tide of fuzzy seasonality. I also have other friends who admit that’s true… but ride the Kahuna and make their birthday a celebration step on the way to Christmas. Both attitudes have merit, so it depends which one suits you best.

And today is a good time to pause on the race to Christmas. It’s a time to regroup, to check what you’ve got and what you still need, to write lists for shopping, food, meals, phone calls, cards, zoom calls and quizzes, any out of house events that you’re going to. Have your moving orders in place, write the lists in your planner, bullet journal, phone app or pieces of paper to keep safe and then place them to one side.

Take the day off Christmas. We’re half way there, and now is a good day to forget the season. Watch a completely not Christmas movie, read a not Christmas book, play not Christmas music very, very loudly. It’s an emotional pause before the plunge into the last 10 days. I may wish that every day was Christmas, but I know that wouldn’t be good for me. In every adventure comes a moment when the intrepid explorer needs to pause and regroup. That’s what today is. Take a day to walk in the sunshine (real or imagined), drink the margarita on a sandy beach and let your mind stroll free from seasonal stress.

And Happy Birthday to my brother (no names, no embarrassment). May 2021 be a year of abundance and positive blessings.

Daily Read: Take A Day Off From Your Life from Psychologies. We all need a break and, although having pauses built into your daily life is the best solution, taking a day off and making use of it is a great way to start.

Daily Book: A Perfect Cornish Escape by Phillipa Ashley. Because if you can’t escape to a sunny Cornish cove while the rain beats down and your toes are freezing, when can you? Phillipa’s books are lovely, and I enjoy her Christmas books as well.

Self Care Act for Today: Take that day off to the limit and take yourself upstairs to enjoy a long bath, luxurious body lotion and an early night. Today should be a whole day of self care, once you’ve written your lists.

How to Hygge the British Way is my gift to the world. I don’t get paid for writing it, I’m not in it for the kudos, financial rewards, to become an influencer, work with brands or otherwise make any money from the blog. That’s why there are no ads, and any products I mention and recommend have either been gifted or bought by me with my everyday wages.

I do get a couple of pennies each time someone buys from the Amazon links on my page, as an Amazon Affiliate, but otherwise if you’d like to support me, I like to give something back in return. That’s why I write books. You can find a full list of my books at my Author’s Page on Amazon, but especially recommended for this time of year are:

A Self Care Christmas: A short ebook on keeping Christmas simple and making sure it doesn’t overwhelm.

Celebrating a Contagious Christmas: Available in ebook and paperback, it’s about making this year a festival of Hope.

Happier: Probably my most personal book, it’s the story of how I used hygge and the little things in life to help boost my happiness. I still go back and reread to remind myself what I need to do to be a happy human.

Cosy Happy Hygge: Setting up a rhythm to life and rituals to enjoy it to make for a more balanced life that handles waves and storms better.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas, however we get to celebrate it this year, and a Happy, Healthy and Simple New Year.