Glasgow psychotherapist Angela Trainer gives her tips on going gently into the winter months, reflecting and embracing the present moment 

December brings memories of the past – the losses, time stress and the annual spendathon. We hope for perfection, for magic, for peace — but when was it ever truly that? Some years are especially hard when seats around the table sit empty. Having lost both my parents, a best friend and my sister-in-law in recent years, I know how the memories rise to the surface all too well.

Some years are harder still when we’re surrounded by “otherness”; invited to join in but feeling outside of it all, or when we’re alone through circumstance – or by choice. Many quietly admit to overwhelm, exhaustion or a simple lack of festive spirit. It can feel like a very long season. So, go gently with these self-care tips.

• Slow down and sit soft.

• Light a candle or two.

• Take long, deep breaths — extended exhales calm the body.

• Walk in the hour just after sunrise. That early light steadies your circadian rhythm and you’ll sleep better that night .

• Have a cuppa in bed and savour it.

• Sit on the floor wrapped in a duvet and watch the sky and the light change.

• Notice the gentler things: soft lights, warm food, kindness, music, sunsets.

Winter needs your presence, not your perfection. Some days you’ll shuffle. Some  days you’ll shine. And when the tinsel comes down, a gentler landing will meet you.

January’s quiet can feel strange after December’s noise. The stillness creates space, and sometimes the feelings we tried to outrun catch up. That’s okay. You don’t need a “new you.” The you who made it through last year is enough. 

What may help instead is some early nights, fresh air, great nutrition, hydration and some attentive listening to yourself – and to others who are struggling around you.

January can be a listening month — one that tunes you back to what your body and spirit truly need: nourishment, connection, music, creativity, nature, words, books, deep rest, small adventures, familiar faces, favourite places. The light is already returning, minute by minute. Brighter days are coming. For now, go slow, keep cosy and be kind to your soul. If December is the practice of presence, let January take you gently by the hand across the threshold.

If you’re grieving, you are not walking alone. Many of us carry our losses through this season. Remember that. Reach out to them with a nudge of solidarity.

• Talk to your invisible beloved.

• Listen with your heart to the signs and signals of reply: real or imagined. I like to think real.

• Live fully and love deeply for them.

As the year turns, I spend time reflecting on what went wrong, where I slipped up , lost touch with my best self and where I might make amends. I write it all down and burn it in a bowl or even a firepit. It’s a gentle form of shadow work. It clears the ground before setting intentions for the year ahead.

Goals matter, but clearing the inner rubble makes for richer soil to plant in the seeds of the future. Rather than resolutions that dissolve by mid-January, I prefer to begin implementing change when the early spring light returns and my own green shoots start to show. It feels more human, more hopeful.

So if you can – take a walk, have a soak or a quiet candlelit hour and step lighter into the new year, carrying only what you truly need. Give yourself the gift of the precious present moment.