After the holidays, many of us are left feeling strangely wired and tired all at the same time.
Nothing feels urgent, yet everything feels loud. Sleep isn’t terrible, but it’s certainly not deep. These are quiet cues from the nervous system that it’s time to pause, reflect, and truly rest.
Whilst the holidays are fun-filled with family gatherings, celebrations and work events, they often come with many more things added to our mental to-do list (and yes, social gatherings count too!). The lead-up is full, and the nervous system doesn’t reset overnight. What matters most is how we gently re-tune into the body and listen with intention. This is the recovery phase, and it deserves just as much care.
A Softer Approach to Summer Sleep
As the days grow longer, our sleep often shifts too. Warmer evenings, lighter routines and less structure all influence how we rest. Sleep isn’t meant to be rigid, and in the summer months it calls for a different kind of care. Gentle cues work better than rules, and it’s the small, daily rituals that remind the body it’s safe to slow down, soften and rejuvenate.
Why Doing Nothing Matters
Doing nothing is often exactly what the nervous system has been waiting for. Stillness isn’t laziness. It’s restoration.
Stillness creates space for the body to catch up to everything it has been holding. The mind unclenches, the nervous system settles, and in turn, sleep arrives without force. In a season that often encourages us to “get back into routine” or set fresh goals, doing nothing can feel uncomfortable, and sometimes even unproductive. But rest is not something to push through or optimise. It’s something to allow.
A Gentle Way Back Into Rhythm
This doesn’t require a full reset or rigid routine. In fact, summer sleep responds best to subtle, sensory cues rather than strict rules. Lower lighting as the sun goes down, a familiar scent before bed, cool, breathable sheets. These small rituals signal safety to the body. And from safety, rest follows.
Rather than rushing to fill January with structure and resolutions, consider allowing space instead: Space for unstructured time, space for slower mornings, space to simply be, without needing to do.
You don’t need to fix your sleep.
You don’t need to overhaul your routine.
You don’t need to rush into the year.
Sometimes the most supportive thing you can do after the holidays is nothing at all.
