It wasn’t the Christmas holiday I had planned. The Christmas holiday I had planned included mornings out drinking coffee and being sociable, building up my running endurance to complete a 7km circuit, going to Sevilla for a couple of days, writing a daily Christmas-themed blog, board games, jigsaw puzzles, long walks with the dog.

Instead, I worked far too hard in the lead up to Christmas, putting in 14-hour or longer days in a bid to get all my work done before the holidays began. Then, once the holidays arrived, I continued to push myself – Christmas shopping, tidying and cleaning the house, which was neglected owing to the long work hours, and prepping food for Christmas. The food prep, though tiring, brought me great joy – what a delight to be in the kitchen, surrounded by nostalgia-inducing smells and textures, Christmas songs playing in the background. I failed to notice that I wasn’t giving myself enough rest, not taking care of myself.

And then, of course, the inevitable happened. As soon as I served dinner on Christmas Day, my body realised its work was done and I started to feel bad. Nose tingling, head muzzy, throat sore. By the time our guests left on Christmas night, I was hot and shivery. I’d caught what half the village, indeed half the world, seems to have – the flu.

That was a week ago and I’m still not fully recovered. Yesterday, I walked the dog and ate a meal for the first time since Christmas Day. My week has been spent in enforced rest – reading, watching movies, sleeping. Feeling rubbish. I’m definitely on the mend now, and that’s great.

I used to be a great one for New Year’s Resolutions. But not any more. Who needs that pressure during the darkest days of the year? I prefer my reflections and resolutions in September. But today I am making one resolution – to no longer put in those 14+ hour days; rather, to approach my work more mindfully, and not put my immune system in jeopardy.

I have long considered the psychological roots of why I work the way I do. But that’s something to dig into another day. For now, it’s enough to say that I want to do something about it.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and creative 2026.