It's January, Adjust Your Expectations

Why we’re not reinventing anything this month. Plus: a pub in Cornwall, a spa in Devon, and The Safekeep

Hi everyone. I’m back in London after spending the holidays in Devon and Cornwall, where most of my time was spent watching films, drinking tea and eating some of the most phenomenal gluten free (“baked short and slow”) biscuits I’ve ever enjoyed. I’ve ordered three packs to bring home to Hong Kong when I return later this month.

In amongst it all, I’ve been seeing a fair amount of advice on how to reset and rebrand yourself in the lead up to 2026. January: the most ambitious of all our calendar months. Whilst I’m a huge fan of leaning into temporal landmarks to initiate change, be it the start of a new year, month, or week… I have thoughts on going too big in January.

For one, many of us are knackered from all the socialising, travelling and family-care that December asked of us. Most of my nutritional therapy clients didn’t truly take the christmas break off. And now we’re right back to business. This matters, because prolonged social and emotional demands can keep our stress hormone…