December Delights

... and they are not Christmassy at all

Hello, I’m Claudia, and Happy Quiet Life is where I share my view on the world as a Highly Sensitive Person. You’ll find reflections and stories about slowing down & living simpler, reconnecting with nature, mental health & self-care, books & reading adventures. Welcome!

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Taking it slowly

I’ve been taking it slowly this month. Accepting that I needed a break - physically, but most of all mentally.

It was an exhausting year in which I struggled with my dysregulated nervous system, balanced on a tightrope, on the verge of falling into the next burnout abyss, and learned a lot about unhealthy belief patterns, conditioning and, above all, about myself.

I’m on a good path now (hopefully), but healing and relearning takes time. More time and patience than I can sometimes muster. But perhaps that’s just being human?

Life was still beautiful this year.

Mostly thanks to focusing on glimmers, noticing small moments and little things, being grateful for the good in my life (and when you look, there’s plenty). Nature played a major role, so did some people.

I had a lot of joy this year, considering, and December had some true delights in stock.

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Sunrises

View from my garden

The sunrises have been spectacular lately. It is as if the sunrises want to make up in some way that the days are so short and offer little daylight. They‘re also often grey and rainy.

So, taking the time to step outside at dawn and look up, even if there’s no vast horizon stretching before me, is still absolutely worthwhile. Taking these precious minutes to notice the stunning colours, the fast changes in light and clouds, not only different day by day, but within moments, lift my spirits. Highly recommended!

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Old Friends

As much as I need my alone time (and I need a lot of it), sometimes it’s just the best feeling to meet old friends for a few days, share meals, stories and laughter.

We’ve known each other for more than 25 years, meet only twice a year because we live hundreds of kilometres apart from each other, but when we meet, it’s like we’ve seen each other just two days ago, and we pick up where we left off immediately.

These are the right people, the ones I can absolutely be at ease with and be myself.

These are the people I as an introverted HSP don’t have to recover from, they don’t drain my energy; on the contrary, being with them gives me energy.

It is a great gift to have friends like these in my life. It’s really special to me and I cherish them deeply.

Maybe I don’t need many people in my life, just the right ones.

Being together for a few days is like a time travel mini-break. When we are together, we don’t feel any older and do not look any different to us than we did 25 years ago when we were in our mid-20s. We only talk about health issues, job problems, and other hardships of life on the first night, after that it's about light-hearted fun, carefree talks and laughter, and the joy of being together as if no time had passed. That feels good!

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Digital Detox

Pause & Reflect Instead of Snippets & Scrolling

With the start of December, when I decided to grant myself two hours of internet time a day before switching off my phone and staying away from my notebook for 22 hours, it felt more than a bit scary. How would I cope? What important things, news, messages would I miss?

What happened instead came as a surprise: By the middle of the month, I was more than happy to stop after just one hour online. No need for more, no desire.

I feel, my dysregulated nervous system is beginning to trust me on that, to rely on me on making good decisions, to stop the constant noise and attacks. It’s still a long way to go, but I feel a gentle shift and that’s all I need for now.

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My favourite week of the year is coming up

I went to the library just in time before it closes until January, and now I’m all set for the time between Christmas and the new year -- which is actually my favourite week because everything seems to slow down and go quieter (except for New Year’s Eve, of course. I could very well do without firecrackers, but I’m in the minority there, I know).

I brought a variety of books to keep me company, and they build quite a lovely stack on my bedside table.

Among them is Robert Galbraith’s The Hallmarked Man that my husband and I have already started eagerly the same day. (I read it to him, voice permitting, it’s a pretty voluminous book.)

I got the latest Asterix’ comic book (and some older ones) and Jim’s Spectacular Christmas by Emma Thompson for a bit of fun.

Some nature books, of course, that will take me through a year In the garden, On the Marsh and Around the Ocean in 80 Fish and Other Sea Life.

Atmosphere and Hidden Figures were spontaneous additions. (That’s what libraries do, right? I was almost on my way out, but then got tempted.)

Jo Leevers’ Tell Me How This Ends also sounded really good.

I’ve also borrowed two books from the e-library: Coasting: Running Around the Coast of Britain by Elise Downing and The Inland Island: A Year in Nature by Josephine Johnson.

That should get me through to the new year, right?

Funny, while my husband gets nervous before the holidays about whether we have enough food supplies, I get nervous about whether I have enough books. And, of course, we always have more than enough of both, every single year.

The weather forecasts are somewhat promising. It’s going to be cold, and we might even get a touch of snow on Christmas Day. Either way, it’ll definitely feel like winter, and I’m looking forward to some quiet walks in nature.

Happy Holidays!

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