The Calm Before The ...

I went to the supermarket today, and it felt a bit frantic if I’m honest. I arrived at the till and let a woman go in front of me as she only had a small basket with a few items, whereas I had a whole trolley. I was sorting out my mum’s food for when we go away at New Year.

The woman said, ‘You must be the only chilled out person here!’ in response to my saying I was in no hurry. But if I’m honest, the only reason I was so chilled was that I knew that once I got to my mum’s place, I’d have a list as long as my arm of more things to do, so I was rather enjoying the me-time, despite being behind a trolley.

The busyness gets us all, doesn’t it?

And then we fall into the new year and desperately try to dust ourselves off and launch into the newness that is meant to come with it.

But it’s so difficult!

Which is why I always set aside time to slow down, with a cup of tea or a glass of wine, a pen, and my journal, and I write. I find it’s a really cathartic way to pause, reflect, and catch my breath before the year ends and another begins. It makes time feel as though it slows down. It helps me feel less like I’m trying to keep up with the world, and more like I’m starting the new year feeling grounded — rather than straining under the weight of where things haven’t gone to plan, which is very much what happened in 2025!

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

So, this Sunday, 28th December at 7pm (UK time), I’m hosting a live reflective writing session on Zoom. It’s nothing formal, just a gentle hour to look back on the year we’ve lived, notice what we’re shouldering, and make a little space for what comes next.

You don’t need to prepare anything. Just bring something to write on, maybe your diary to remind you of what you’ve been up to, and come as you are. Bring tea or bring wine, wear pyjamas, put your hair up - it doesn’t matter, it’s about taking the time to reflect.

I’ll guide you through the process I use to write the year, and we will mark the good, the difficult, and everything in between.

Here’s the Zoom link to join:

The session will last one hour, and we’ll write through three parts:

• Looking back at events, moments, and experiences

• Noticing what stayed with us emotionally, and what we learned

• Acknowledging what we’ve navigated in 2025 and, if it feels right, setting some intentions for 2026

We won’t be sharing anything openly, don’t worry, this is entirely for you. You don’t even have to put your camera on if you don’t want to, but you’ll be glad for this time, I promise.

I cherish this yearly practice, so I hope you can join me and maybe it’ll become something special for you too.

Pipa x