After the frantic mad rushes and bustles of the festive season, you might find you’ll welcome some time to relax as you usher in the New Year. After all, with it come a raft of exciting new events, changes and challenges. With that in mind, we’ve gathered some New Year’s rituals to help ease you into this new chapter in your life.
For Yourself
If you find some time to yourself this January, you might prefer to perform this little ceremony away from the noise and hubbub of other people. It can be anywhere – in your living room, in your bedroom – or even that old favourite, in the bath. This ceremony suggests bringing elements from nature: lighting scented candles (fire), taking a bath or drinking something hot (water), feeling the earth under you (earth) and taking deep, cleansing breaths (air).
If you like, you can play soft music, or something that otherwise matches your mood. Think about the past year. What brought you to this moment? What are the most important lessons you’ve learned? If you’re feeling creative, you could choose this moment to write something that captures how you feel at this point in time, and then do it again next January. Compare how far you’ve come, what’s different, and what you’re working towards.
Most importantly, find peace in the soft light from the scented candles around you. To finish, clear your mind of everything and allow yourself a minute of perfect, total silence.
With Your Friends
With today’s frantic workplaces and family demands, sometimes it can be difficult to find the time to see those most important to you. The New Year is a perfect time to do that. Allow yourself to slow down, and take a break from your to-do list. Call some friends, and invite them to yours for some quiet drinks or food. Use your scented candles to set a quiet, reflective atmosphere, while you take it in turns to share what the past year was for you. You’re under no obligation to share everything, but be honest with yourself!
Concentrate on the positives – even though 2016 was certainly an eventful year for both the UK and the wider international community, think about the personal lessons you’ve learned along the way. Focus on those, and what they’ve brought you; whether it’s new skills or hobbies, or deeper personal qualities, like patience and forgiveness.
Crucially, listen to what your friends have to say. You might find that they’ve spotted upsides to situations that you missed the first time around.
With Your Family
It’s no secret that most New Year’s resolutions fail. While that might seem like a depressing fact, most of the time it’s just because the initial goal is too tough, and there’s no proper planning that goes into it. Vague, off-the-cuff resolutions like ‘cook more’ aren’t going to get you anywhere. Start small, and be specific. Instead of ‘cook more’, think ‘I’m going to try and do a good lasagne this year’. Give yourself time and support, and surround yourself with people who can help. You’re actually physically rewiring your brain, and it’s no easy feat!
This year, you could think about taking a family picture. Don’t spend time and energy making it perfect and fussing over everyone’s hair – just do it. Take the same picture next year, and the year after. Look at how you all change over time. Maybe it was the year your daughter started secondary school. Maybe it was the year you all had that wonderful family dinner (where you cooked your first lasagna!). Maybe it was just the year you finally gave up smoking. Look hard enough, and you’ll find that even the “worst” years are full of little bright sides.
Be Kind To Yourself
Though different in their own way, these ceremonies all have a few key traits in common: focus on the good things in life, take things slow, and act decisively to create positive change. Naturally – you knew we were going to say it – luxury candles also play an indispensable role in many of them. You can browse our range of handmade candles here, or have a look at our reed diffusers, which provide your home with a beautiful fragrance all year round.
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