How to Make 2025 the Year for You

We started the year full of enthusiasm but the Apothecary building is essentially a big, badly insulated hangar and so in spite of a little heater in each room, tweed door coverings, multiple woolly layers, sheepskin boots, a felted wool hat and fingerless gloves, I have been defeated and all of us are working from home this week, except for the morning orders which I dash in to complete. The gritting is currently a little hit and miss so the trip in has been a touch eventful but so far so good. I always carry a basket of coffee making equipment in the car so if the worst comes to the worst, I’ll happily enjoy an excellent espresso whilst I wait for help. I currently have a bag of the Costa Rican beans in the basket. Delicious.

This is such a strange time of year, energy is low, we’ve just had the festive period which is always full on in one form or another. Money is often tight after present buying, travel and festivities, we’ve usually eaten too much and overindulged generally. We’ve had days of not knowing what day it is, all sleep habits have been disrupted. The weather is cold, there’s rain, wind and snow. Daylight levels, although improving, are still low. Resilience is in short supply.

So isn’t it bizarre that at this point, when we are often at a low point mentally and physically, literally everywhere you look on social media there is pressure to punish yourself through dieting, rigorous exercise and general self-flagellation. Lose the weight, get fit, restore skin to youthfulness, the message of 'you’re simply not good enough' is so prevalent. We are expected to jump from a state of lethargic indulgence into hyped up gym bunny. It is from one extreme to another.

The winter is a time to slow down, every plant knows to retreat in order to return stronger in the spring. Animals slow down, many hibernate until the winter is over. It is a time of year when we really need to kind be to ourselves in order to set our intentions for the year in a way that is achievable and sustainable. It should be a time of reflection and self awareness..

The dash to the gym, the signing up for short sharp diets, the aggressive skin treatments rarely last, they can’t, they don’t work. Nor do they make any lasting change, short sharp diets mess up your metabolism, make you crave foods that you deny yourself and make you miserable. Long intense sessions in the gym don’t work for older women, they raise cortisol levels making you hold onto fat and adding to your stress. Aggressive skin treatments unbalance the skin’s natural biome and create a whole raft of problems especially in winter when the skin is already dealing with cold, windy weather and central heating.

Instead, easing yourself into the new year makes far more sense – a gradual but sustainable reset. Find the time to go for a walk outside, seek out the light, let yourself move at the pace that suits you. Take the time to look for the changes that bring us closer to spring – at this time of year, you’ll begin to see tiny green shoots emerging.

Give your liver a treat to help it recover from the festive season – herbal Carduus marianus is a great liver tonic, our Digestive Tea is a lovely support for the digestive system, lemon juice in warm water first thing in the morning is a great start to the day. Eat liver supporting foods – berries, grapes, ginger, leafy greens, turmeric, nuts and pulses. Steer off the booze and choose something non-alcoholic, we made Wild Eve to boost the mind and feed the nervous system. It's a really tasty alternative.

Keep well hydrated, if it’s too cold to drink water, add in green tea as an option or our Wildflower Tea or our Earl Grey – all are delicious.

For your skin, be gentle, it’s having to work really hard. Go for a mild cleanser like our Harmonising Cleansing Balm, spritz with one of our Face Mists or the Isle Mist, then apply the Wild Beauty Balm which creates a protective layer to lock moisture into the skin and protect it from the elements. Don’t be tempted to go for radical options, they do more harm than good, often the simplest routine with products using the best quality ingredients makes an immense difference.

But most of all, shut down the voices that extort you to extremes, whether they be from within or without, because they do you no favours at all. I think as women we are made so susceptible to the idea that we must be perfect, in looks, dress and personality, but it’s neither desirable nor useful for any of us. Instead, and especially as we journey through menopause and into the years beyond, we have the opportunity to really discover our inner selves and to reject a set of social norms that never served us well. Make this the year that you ditch things that make you feel stressed, distressed or undermined. 

So I hope you can go into 2025 with self-care as your priority. We’ll be up here in Harris with Skincare, Teas, Tinctures and First Aid Balms, cheering you on and offering whatever we can to smooth your journey and celebrate your triumphs, however small they may be.