The buzz of Christmas has ended, has suddenly we are thrust into a new year, where we are expected to have these extravagant goals for the next 12 months, a new fitness plan in place and the “new me” is supposed to kick in at midnight on the 1st of January.
But do you ever feel like you are behind before you have even started? Personally, the last thing we feel after the Christmas period is motivated. While others might have plans to complete a 10km by the end of January, our January agenda consists of completing 10 new series before my hibernation time is up.
On a real note, it doesn’t seem all that right to have a New Year right in the middle of winter. Nothing around us has changed, so why should we? The days are still shorter, the air is still freezing cold, and we are still reeling from the physical and emotional exhaustion of meeting and greeting over the holidays. It doesn’t feel like a new year, and frankly, we feel like a worse version of ourselves!
However, what if we told you that the New Year on January 1st isn’t really our New Year, and there might be a reason why we sometimes feel ready for hibernation over a New Year, New Me start in January.
@taneasacred my new year belongs with the spring equinox in march 2026 🎇 i woke up yesterday morning with a migraine and my body demanded REST. i had rituals and practices planned, but i took it as a sign—sit this calendar new year out and move with the winter season instead. 🎇 i believe in aligning with mother nature. humans are part of nature as much as plants and animals are. im tired of moving against it. 🎇 #newyear #newyearseve #2026 #springequinox #rest ♬ Dreams, Fairytales, Fantasies (feat. Brent Faiyaz & Salaam Remi) – A$AP Ferg
Our calendar isn’t as natural as we think…
The only calendar that most of us follow, and the only one we have ever known of, is the Georgian reform system. This system follows the standard format of 365 days, 12 months, and a leap year every four years, giving us an extra day.
However, this time system is not what we previously used to live by. In fact, the original system by the Romans only had 10 months in the year, with the first month being March.
March was seen as the first month as it symbolised renewal as the season began to change. It reflected the spring equinox, which traditionally took place on March 21st; however, this would shift from year to year.
Having the new year in March made sense. The days were getting longer, it was the start of the planting and agriculture season, and the dark winter was coming to an end. It felt exciting with our environment changing; our bodies, too, felt motivated to change.
This system was going well before it soon began to change after the Roman government wanted a system that favoured their political control. They added two more months to the calendar, including February and January, which were named after Janus, the god of beginnings. To keep their control and to help with their administration, the government changed the start of the new year from March to what we know as now, January 1st.
This new Roman calendar fell completely out of sync with two months added without proper consideration. To address this issue, Julius Ceaser invented the Julian calendar in 46 BCE and paved the way to create the calendar we still use today. However, he still continued to keep the fixed start date of January first because this still helped create control and power dynamics.
While the foundations of the Julian calendar are what we use today, in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII removed 10 days out of the year, to ensure the timings added up correctly for the spring equinox aligned with Easter and other Catholic celebrations.
What started out as a system that reflected the earth and our bodies’ natural change ended up being a way of living enforced by control and power that created a false restart.
@amytimmerman1 The Gregorian calendar is what disconnect’s us from natures true rhythm. The real new year starts in spring when light overthrows darkness. The Gregorian calendar was a step in replacing feminine wisdom with patriarchal order. The divine 13 moon cycles of the year that perfectly match women’s cycles…. replaced with an arbitrary 12 month calendar that keeps us disconnected from natures true cycles. A January 1st “new year” that makes no sense with the cycles of the seasons or astrological wisdom- both of which put the real new year in mid March / spring equinox/ first day of Aries season. When the calendar we follow is harmonic and in tune with natural cycles, we may off our return to a way of life more spiritual and in harmony with nature. #spirituality #mooncycles#witchtok#femininewisdom#divinefeminine ♬ original sound – Amy Timmerman
So why don’t our bodies feel ready for change in January?
Having the new year in January only makes sense from an administrative point of view. When it comes to our bodies, this false restart throws our natural awakening and motivation to change completely out of sync.
Our bodies are still recovering from Christmas in January and even until February in some cases. The days are still shorter, and the reduced sunlight affects our mood, making us feel tired and sluggish rather than lifted and happy.
Flowers are yet to bloom, and our whole surroundings are still the same – how can that be any motivation to change our ways when nature is still asleep?
We know our bodies don’t respond to manmade time constraints, so why do we still place so much pressure on ourselves at the new year when we know this is not natural in any shape or form?
@__alexandradawson♬ frankkk – ♫
So rather than being harsh on yourself, view January as a time for reflection rather than a restart.
If you are left feeling unmotivated this January and but don’t fancy lying around in bed, while all your friends are off becoming “the new best version of themselves”, then why not
take the time from January till March as a time for reflection. Look back at your past year and reflect on the good parts, the bad parts and everything in between. You could even set out little intentions for yourself to keep your mind on a positive track, but still stay well rested.
And by the time March comes around, you are ready to take on your own personal new year, while keeping the same you with maybe a few more positive habits – because after all, positive change is good for us all!