It feels weird to call this “waterslide season” since, unless you’re in the southern hemisphere, it is most certainly NOT a season you’d find yourself on a waterslide. However, this time of year always feels like a waterslide ride – you wait all year for it to come and then it’s like jumping onto a baby-oil-lubed waterslide and shooting to the bottom, popping out in early January.
This is the time of year where I wish things would slow down, that time would crawl, that the days would feel endless and delicious. These are all reality-busting wishes, but there are a couple ways I’ve found that help me snuggle into the season:
Let candlelight or firelight make extra hours of evening darkness feel like a welcome treat, making the evenings feel cozier and longer in a good way.
Create rituals that connect to the season. My family always had an old school red felt advent calendar, and every day as a kid I looked forward to eating the Hershey’s Kiss or Starburst tucked into the little sewn pocket. Pro tip: Trader Joe’s makes lovely little inexpensive ones with milk chocolate treats for you to enjoy.
Block and protect time for yourself (good for any time of year, but especially this time of year) to do something you love: watch holiday movies, go for walks to enjoy the decorations, sip cocoa with a good book.
What makes this season special to you?
Also, for a few still-pertinent thoughts on how to navigate this season of intensified calendars, interactions, and experiences, see this blog post from two years ago on how to approach the season to get the most out of it for you.
