Five things to do this Twixmas to help you get ready for 2025
The period between Christmas and New Year - widely known as Twixmas - can often feel a little strange. The days start to blend into one another as we tend to fill the time yawning hours with TV shows and the occasional walk.
But Twixmas doesn’t have to be a write-off. It’s a great time to take stock of the year that has just passed and start thinking about what you want for the year ahead.
It’s also the perfect time to get some well-deserved rest after a year of working hard. With many offices closed and workers taking time off, the days between 26 and 31 December are a great opportunity to switch off.
Here are a few things you can do this Twixmas:
Get plenty of rest 🛏️
Burn-out is a real problem in Britain, with mental health charities warning that the UK is at risk of becoming a "burnt-out nation".
An annual report from Mental Health UK released in January 2024 found that more than a third of adults experienced high or extreme levels of pressure and stress always or often in the past year.
If you’re taking some much-needed time off this Twixmas, it’s the perfect opportunity to rest and get plenty of sleep without worrying about waking up on time for work. Let your body and mind relax with activities that you enjoy, whether it’s watching a film or doing a puzzle - and whatever you do, don’t check your work emails.
Start thinking about your New Year resolutions ✍️
While you’re putting your feet up, now’s a good time to have a think about what you want for yourself in 2025. This doesn’t mean setting impossible goals for yourself, but instead, think about which areas of your life you’d like to focus on next year.
If your health is a priority, then you can think about taking small steps like signing up for a gym or looking up healthy recipes that make you feel excited to cook and eat.
Or, if you’re looking to pick up a new skill, try looking for inspiration on social media or YouTube. You never know what might pique your interest!
Buy a 2025 planner 🗓️
This Moleskine daily planner has blank pages for each day of 2025, giving you plenty of space to organise and plan the year ahead.
With Boxing Day sales underway, picking up a planner for the next year is a good idea. You don’t even have to do anything with it just yet, but having a fresh planner ready for the new year can help you feel more prepared and confident.
Psychologist Barbara Markway wrote in Psychology Today about the benefits of using a daily planner and explained that it can help with a number of areas in your life, including improving time management, productivity and stress management.
She added: "[Planners] help your physical health by helping you track things like diet and exercise, you can schedule regular doctor and dentist appointments, and make sure you are getting enough fresh air and vitamin D by scheduling days spent outdoors.
"You get mental health benefits by reducing stress and anxiety, and even having journalling pages for when you just need a good brain dump."
Spend time with your loved ones ❤️
Twixmas is the perfect time to spend a bit more time with friends and family, as many people are on holiday or in the same place for an extended period of time.
An added benefit of this period is that many restaurants and pubs will be open again, giving you the opportunity to get out of the house and socialise.
Get a head start on any walking resolutions 🚶
If walking more is a New Year resolution for you, it’s a great time to leave the house (yes, really!) and go for a little walk, even if it’s just to the shops and back or round your local park.
According to a YouGov poll, getting fit and exercising more is the second most popular New Year resolution that Britons plan to make. One way to get started is to walk more, as studies are increasingly showing the benefits of walking, particularly to break up the work day.
So if you’re feeling a little lethargic from all the Christmas excess, why not put your boots on and head outdoors? It doesn’t have to take a long time, as one study found that even a “micro-walk” lasting as little as 10 seconds could be beneficial to health, while another study found that exercising in three-minute bursts can help manage diabetes.
Read more about health and wellness:
The UK’s top 2025 New Year’s resolutions, revealed (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)
Experts' tips to help get your New Year's fitness resolution off the ground (MyLondon, 5-min read)
How to avoid burnout and recuperate over Christmas and New Year (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
