Soft Seasons: finding Calm in paycheck anxiety and burn out

November has always felt like a tug-of-war month for me — that strange in-between where you’re trying to hold everything together before Christmas, but your body and brain are quietly asking for a break.

Lately, I’ve felt that tension more than usual. The bills, the busyness, the endless lists. I’ve been in a fibromyalgia flare, for the first time in a very long time, probably from overworking myself while not feeling 100%, and it’s like my body is saying what my mind has been ignoring: slow down.

And honestly? Between being tired, in pain, and watching prices rise, this month has been a reminder that sometimes there’s too much month at the end of my money! I know I’m not the only one feeling that way. November just has a knack for stretching everything — time, patience, energy, and budgets.

But here’s the thing I’m learning: slowing down isn’t failure. Saying no isn’t selfish. Choosing to rest — even when the world says “keep going” — is still a form of strength.

I used to think self-care meant doing more: more routines, more products, more structure. But right now, it looks a lot simpler.

• It’s going to bed earlier, even if the washing isn’t done.

• It’s making a cup of tea and actually finishing it while it’s still hot.

• It’s running a long, slow bath and pouring in my Bath of Eden salts — letting the warmth soak into the aches, the quiet wash over the noise.

• It’s massaging my hands with body butter before bed — not because it’s fancy, but because it reminds me to pause.

Living with fibromyalgia has taught me that the body always keeps score. If you ignore it long enough, it’ll find its own way to slow you down. So this month, I’m listening — even when it’s inconvenient, even when my mind is still racing with to-do lists.

If you’re also feeling stretched — by work, money, motherhood, pain, or just the weight of the season — please know this: you’re not behind. You’re not lazy. You’re human.

And maybe, instead of pushing harder, we can learn to soften instead. To find little rituals that remind us we deserve care, even in the chaos.

So light the candle. Run the bath. Use the body butter. Wrap up early and rest your bones. You don’t have to earn ease — you just have to allow it.

Here’s to gentler days ahead.💛

Beth x