This Is How Forty+ Humans Survive December
Like many people, I used to navigate December like an obstacle course race.
Christmas parties, BBQs, work functions and family commitments all stacked up like back-to-back obstacles.
I’d tax my adrenaline to the limit, prop myself up with coffee and whatever food I could grab on the run, all so I could squeeze as much work in as possible and then “relax” on holidays.
Did I actually relax on those holidays?
No, not really.
I’d collapse in a heap, and I’d taxed my energy reserves so much that I had to shut down for days to reboot and be barely functional again.
By January, my body was cooked—tight, sluggish, tired.
My brain and nervous system were fried and wired at the same time.
No way to start the year. No genuine fresh start – just a hangover of fatigue rolling into February when Melbourne actually kicks off again.
That’s when I stopped asking, “How much can I fit in?”
And started asking, “What can my nervous system actually support today?”
Ironically, that resulted in me getting more of what I wanted done.
That was the beginning of recalibrating how I move through this whole season.
Now, as a 40+ dad and business owner who’s had his fair share of injuries and setbacks, with a clearer understanding of how my own neurodiverse wiring amplifies my nervous system responses – and after watching clients succeed (and struggle) through more than 20 Christmas periods – my December rules for myself and my clients in 2025 are very different.
Here are three simple guardrails you can use this weekend:
1. Pick one non-negotiable.
Walk, a short strength session, or 10 minutes of mobility.
One clear win your brain can’t argue with.
When your nervous system is wired and fried, the level of complexity you can usually handle becomes too much, killing your follow-through. Recalibrating your expectations of what a “good day” looks like in December – not lowering the bar, just making it doable.
2️. Anchor your plate instead of trying to “be good”
Start with protein, then plants, then whatever else fits around that.
Yes, you can still enjoy the BBQ, the pav, the dessert—you’re human.
Just don’t let “stuff it, I’ve blown it” turn one meal into a three-day slide.
Nutrition recalibrated for real life, not an all-or-nothing rulebook you abandon the moment a social event pops up.
3️. Give your nervous system a closing time
Choose a time tonight when:
Work stops
Screens wind down
Alcohol stops
You start easing off the throttle
Your HRV, stress levels, and mood tomorrow will thank you. This simple act of setting a closing time is a quiet recalibration of your recovery, a proactive step that prevents your body from crashing and forcing you to stop. It's a small change that can bring a significant sense of relief and peace during the busy holiday season.
None of this is flashy.
But it’s how Forty+, injured and time-poor humans get through December and actually come into January in a fresher state – so they don’t need a complete rebuild, just ongoing recalibration.
If you recognize yourself in this – the obstacle-course December, the holiday collapse, the “I’ll start again next year” cycle – you’re exactly the person I have in mind for the Christmas C.A.L.M. Blueprint. This program is designed to help you break free from these patterns and enter the new year feeling refreshed and ready to tackle your health and well-being goals.
(Christmas-Adaptive Lifestyle & Movement).
Introducing the Christmas C.A.L.M. Blueprint, a 4-month premium hybrid coaching framework designed to guide you from December to March:
Anchored by 1:1 coaching in my Moorabbin studio
Supported by flexible, app-based programming and check-ins that adapt around holidays, travel, kids at home, work shutdowns and ramp-ups
Built specifically for people who don’t have the health margin to wing it for another year
Because it’s so personal and heavily progress-focused at the busiest time of year, I’ll only be taking on a small handful of clients into the Christmas C.A.L.M. Blueprint.
Entry is by application and a preliminary strategy call, so we can both be sure it’s the right fit for your body, your nervous system, and your December–March reality—not just a nice idea on paper.
For today, don’t overcomplicate it.
Pick your one non-negotiable, anchor your plate, and set a closing time.
Save this for the next few weekends when things start ramping up – and if you want first access to the details when applications open for the Christmas C.A.L.M. Blueprint, send me a DM with the word CALM and I’ll make sure you see it before it goes anywhere else.
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