An Office guide to surviving the silly season
'Silliness is not just expected, it is encouraged.'
Ciao!
As I write this, I’m shocked by the date. It’s only the 12th of December. It feels closer to the 21st.
I’m a peculiar combination of exhausted and wired. Teetering on the edge of illness, batting it away with workdays, deadlines, and dinners fuelled by gin and spritz.
The energy of this time of year has been well documented. As my yoga teacher said in class the other day, “we’re crawling to the finish line.” I just hope my body keeps pace until we get there.
In a cruel mix of serendipity and irony, the universe seems determined to deliver everything I’ve wanted at precisely the moment I feel least prepared for it.
I’m negotiating a commission with a publication I’ve been pitching to for over 9 months. (Dreams do come true lol). There’s a flurry of summer excitement in my newly minted dating life. And I’ve just come off one of the best weekends in the Grampians, celebrating at my heavenly friends’ wedding. Luxe, camp, and gorgeously glam. A 2-night bender for the rowdy and fabulous.
I’m looking at the next 20 days with a mix of awe, exhaustion, and something close to disbelief. Work. EOY Catch-ups. Christmas. A 30th birthday over New Year’s in Thailand. Somewhere in there, I’m meant to keep myself upright. A very first world breakdown feels imminent.
I know I’m not alone in this.
So, it felt right to offer my own field notes for surviving the silly season. I can’t promise rest, nor that you’ll emerge entirely intact. But I can promise fun, hedonism, frivolity. And a kind of overwhelming desire to hibernate once it’s all over.
An Office guide to surviving the silly season
Going out is always a good idea. So is drinking. And drinking water.
You never know who you’re going to meet. Ergo, point one.
But if you genuinely want to stay in, stay in. A simple “sorry, this time of year is chaos” goes a long way. Use it liberally.
Your body is the vehicle that will shepherd you across the finish line. Take care of it. When time is short, prioritise sleep.
Do not fear the mid afternoon power nap. One supported by NuCalm works wonders.
When your body feels sluggish, it is usually asking for movement. Walk. Yoga. Pilates. An infrared sauna. Keep it supportive and mellow.
When your body feels depleted, listen. Stay in. Have a bath. Do less. The old adage applies: this is a marathon, not a sprint.
If you wake up hungover, do not shame yourself.
If you stayed out later than planned, do not shame yourself for that either.
If you wake up in someone else’s bed, bonus points if it’s an ex’s, a coworker’s, or a friend’s, still no shame there.
Basically, don’t shame yourself. Shame is a spectacular waste of energy. It is the silly season, after all. Silliness is not just expected. It is encouraged.
Don’t worry about perfection. Done is better than perfect.
And while you’re at it, don’t worry about your “morning routine”. Or any routine. Go where you need to go. Work when you need to work. Move when you need to move. Sleep when you need to sleep.
Refrain from big serious decisions. Silly ones only.
A spritz is an excellent hair of the dog. Montenegro or Campari are my go tos. If I am really hungover, Aperol is kryptonite.
Shop Christmas gifts from the high street or online.
Always choose thoughtful over expensive. It is the sentiment that counts.
Take care with tricky family dynamics. Find solo time when needed. Emotional injuries can be just as destabilising as physical ones.
Do not believe what you see online. Almost everyone’s family is crazy in some way. If yours isn’t, congratulations. You are one of the chosen ones.
Accept that you will not see everyone or do everything you planned. There is always next year.
Until next time!
With gratitude,
Rach x