What To Do In The Lull Between Christmas & New Year

By Alice Tate

What with the month-long build-up, it’s only natural to experience a Christmas comedown once you’ve polished off the festive leftovers in a sarnie on Boxing Day morning. What now, eh? You refuse to change out of your PJs because that means Christmas is actually over, so you settle for watching Vicar of Dibley reruns until New Year’s Eve.

If you’re lucky, you’ll have friends to see and maybe a few more presents to open after the big day to help eke out those Christmas feels but, by the time Twixmas is in full swing, we’re all in major Quality Street comas and there’s not a lot going on. Don’t get us wrong, we’re not complaining about being off work — hell no — but that waiting-for-something-to-happen sensation can be hard to shrug.

So instead of moping and letting the blissful office-free days morph into a Dawn French marathon (as dreamy as that sounds), here’s how to make the most of the lull. Ride that festive wave, people.

Re-organise your wardrobe and take stuff to the charity shop

A necessary evil and a good deed rolled into one: what better time than when you’re living in your PJs to sort out your wardrobe once and for all? That top with tags you’ve never worn? Get it on eBay. And all those trousers, skirts and dresses that just don’t reflect your 2017 self? To charity they go. Do consider colour-coding, and practicalities like a shirt section and a fun top section. With every job that must be done…

Glow

Unlike when you get back from holiday feeling pretty damn goddess-like, the after-effects of the Christmas break tend to be more wined-out. You may be half-brie, half-yule log but a little pampering goes a long way, so get on it. Groom, tan, exfoliate, mani.

Go big on your thank you cards

Christmas cards always end up being a rush job, squeezed in between fraught gift-buying and Christmas party hangovers. But thank you cards? You’ve got time to pore over these bad boys, so show your thanks with heartfelt handwritten messages.

Kickstart your New Year’s resolutions early

Technically, New Year’s resolutions don’t kick in ’til January 1st but hey, why not get a couple of practice runs in beforehand? Tie those trainers and start running away from those mince pies. By the time New Year’s Day hits, you’ll be halfway to making it a habit.

Make goals (realistic ones)

#goals baby! Because if the new year is good for anything, it’s setting out new ambitions. But instead of resolutions that you know you’ve got 99% chance of breaking, let 2021 be the year of realistic, achievable goals. Think of three, write them down, make plans, act on them.

Originally published at https://www.refinery29.com.