A little “me-time”… even during the Holidays
I know, we’re smack in the middle of the delightful Christmas chaos: work dinners, festive drinks with friends, Christmas Eve dinner, Christmas Day lunch – and now we’re gearing up for the New Year’s celebrations. Add to that the hustle of last-minute shopping, queueing for museums, and traffic jams en route to the ski slopes. It’s all par for the course – Christmas comes but once a year, and it deserves to be enjoyed in all its folkloristic frenzy! But there is a way to “switch off”, to catch your breath amid the end-of-year social and gastronomic marathon. The Finns have a specific word for it, “kalsarikännit”.
This delightful tradition involves relaxing at home, with the pleasure of a drink, savoured in complete solitude, dressed in your comfiest clothes, with absolutely no intention of stepping outside. In Finland (voted the world’s happiest country for the seventh year in a row!), this has become a veritable cultural tradition – a conscious, peaceful self-care retreat. Whether it’s reading, binge-watching TV, or chilling with some music, the idea is to find balance and serenity while sprawled on your sofa.
Sound familiar? Sure! But turning this kind of temporary isolation (which would otherwise have you labelled a Scrooge!) into a near-sacred ritual can be transformative. It gives you a legitimate right to say “no” to plans, it silences the endless external demands, and it redefines your personal boundaries. It’s about rediscovering yourself, regaining your focus, and recharging your batteries so you can tackle the New Year with all your resolutions and big (or small) ambitions.
This year, I haven’t quite managed it, but next year, I’m planning to squeeze in some solo nights in my comfiest loungewear in between social events. There’s always a bottle or two of wine in my stash… no Finnish sauna or fireplace, sadly, but my sofa will do just fine!
So, between one celebration and the next… gift yourself a little TLC!
I’m looking forward to sharing another fabulous year with you all!
Marco
