January has a bad rep, as months go. Known as the long, cold, dark month, January can also be a time when we force ourselves into a new year with a range of self improvement goals, which can feel exhausting.

This year, I’ve been reading the thoughts of several writers about this notorious month. All of them are saying the same thing: January needs to be a month when we ease ourselves into the year and treat ourselves with kindness.

With this in mind, so far, I’m enjoying January. It’s been a time for rest, a gentle easing back into exercise and healthy eating, times of sorting and organising when I feel up to it, a slow gear-shift back to routine and purposeful activity. It’s been a time of gathering with loved ones and making the most of the January birthdays in our family.

There’s a tenderness about the natural world at this time of year: bare trees; cold, starry nights that arrive early; swans in water-logged fields; three deer staring back at me through a gateway; windswept buzzards on posts or soaring in pale blue skies. And at the weekend, I noticed the first snowdrops. They just appear, don’t they? Their stems are a very soft shade of green and the bright white of their flowers is striking, especially when the sky is grey.

My January reading has consisted largely of Substack letters and posts (a new discovery for me!). I particularly recommend Sarah Bessey, Beth Kempton, Elizabeth Gilbert, Micha Boyett and Jo Goddard.

All of these have reminded me of the value of letter writing in general. There’s an element of therapy in the writing of a letter, however conversational, and it’s an act of love and warmth in this busy, technological generation. So I’ve done a bit of that this month too, enjoying sending good wishes, putting pen to paper, and walking out in the cool air to the post box.

I also read the lovely, funny, beautifully illustrated book, What to do When I’m Gone, by Suzy Hopkins and Hallie Bateman, which reads as advice from mother to daughter. This I read in one sitting, on a Saturday morning, with coffee. I just loved the loving, witty tone of it. The recipes reminded me how helpful it can be – especially in the winter – to nourish ourselves and others with home-cooked food.

I did find myself often in the kitchen this month. There is something cheering about baking. I like combining the sweetness of sugar with tart blueberries and yoghurt to make blueberry cake, or making my Grandma’s recipe for chocolatey date crisp.

Today has been a sick day for my daughter and I (another common feature of this month!) But sofa time with my daughter and the dog, a little walk in the field to see the frost and ice, and lots of cups of tea have made it quite bearable! Sometimes being forced to slow down can be a blessing.

How has your January been?