How I slow down time when it gets hectic

Shimmering candles, a hint of pine scent and a Christmas song softly in the background. After my nomadic years, this is the first year to fully immerse in the cosy Christmas vibe again. In temporary homes it’s not so much fun to decorate. And Christmas at the beach, like I’ve had in Bali and Ibiza, is lovely, but not the same. So now that I grounded back in the beautiful former warehouse, my very first Christmas tree (in a very long time) almost feels like a metaphor. A metaphor for a new life phase. As my nomadic heart will always run wild and free, it’s now time to mix that up with the homely part of me who loooooves some Hygge. But… in a slightly new way than before my travelling years! 

Slow, simple and connected December days

So… not to run around like maniac Santa in these often hectic last weeks of the year. I’ve spend the last years coming back to a more simple, a slower and more connected life, so I like my December days to be just that. Cause isn’t Christmas a time for reflection, gratitude and spending time with the people we love? Instead of excessive gifts and eating until we’re nauseous? Less complexity, more simplicity. I’m all for it. So a tree (with roots) decorated in a sweet and simple way with some nature elements and soft colors. Creating a magical string of lights with dried Physalis alkekengi (Chinese Lantern Plant) with Floweratelier Klavertje Vijf. Making my own ‘Wabi Sabi’ wreath with eucalyptus that smells so lovely. And with ‘Wabi Sabi’ I mean: perfectly imperfect! It doesn’t have to be beautiful, just fun and authentic. As always, I try to bring more of nature inside.

Use creativity to stay calm and grounded in busy December

Use the season to be creative like that, really helps me to stay connected, centered and grounded within the whirlwind of energies going around in the city this time of year. Cause those can be intense for sure. So I make an effort to not let myself be seduced into rushing and running, but to slow down instead. As the heartbeat of the city goes faster than in other months, I take more time for that beautiful stillness that is always there underneath. That serene feeling like a snowy white forest. When the only sound is that of snow crunching under your boots. That quiet vibe, that is o so alive at the same time. I find it by slowing down.

Let December nourish you

In the past my December days often felt stressful because of all the ‘I have to’s’, that where there at least in my mind. So now I do more of what makes me happy (and equally important, less of what I don’t really want to do). Get some fresh air and go to the forest or beach, make spicy Christmas cocktails with friends, be creative, cosy and cuddly. I shifted my perspective, from busy and stressed to ‘it’s actually the perfect month for reflection and relaxing’. So that the past year can fully integrate within me. The ups and the downs, the highs and the lows, the bliss and the rawness.

I deeply enjoy the buzzing of December in the city, the twinkling lights everywhere, the enormous Christmas Tree in the Square, the decorated trees in front of people’s windows, the crowded shops… I breathe it all in! But the soft and sweet energies within my house, help me to come back to the eye of the storm, that alive stillness, that quiet calm space within myself. That space where I just slow down time, even against the odds.