Jan 7: Distaff Day
Dread returning to work after the holidays? Try the Distaff Day approach.
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Partly worke and partly play
Ye must on S. Distaffs day.
—Robert Herrick, 17th-century English poet
Now that the festivities are over, the Christmas tree is down (hopefully), and the kids are back in school, it’s that dreaded time to get back to work.
As we return to our conference calls and client meetings, we may miss the extra time we had over the holidays with family and friends.
We ate with gusto, drank with glee, and watched sugar plum movies, filling our heads with a childlike innocence.
But today, as we face another Monday stripped of holiday cheer, we replace the innocence with responsibility, workloads, and stress.
The snow globe glitter has settled, the Nutcracker curtain has closed, and the car radio station has returned to its regular programming.
But before you crawl under your desk and bury yourself in leftover Christmas cookies, take control of this unsettled time using the Distaff Day approach.
Distaff Day, always on January 7th, originated in medieval times when women resumed spinning after the Twelfth Night.
But instead of complaining, wishing things were different, dwelling in Christmas pasts, they brought lightheartedness and community into the post-holiday season.
They transformed their workspaces into warm and friendly places, exchanging holiday tales and decorating their distaffs (pronounced dist-aff), a stick or spindle that held the unspun fibers to keep them untangled.
The women adorned their distaffs with brightly colored ribbons, leftover pieces of yuletide greenery, or even small trinkets.
This tradition shows the power of perspective. Instead of resenting having to return to work, the spinners viewed their daily routines as a gift to reconnect and share.
We, too, can shift our perspective and see our work as a chance to align with our spiritual aspirations (see Jan 1: Your Life on Purpose).
Using Distaff Day as inspiration, this week’s activities expand our spiritual aspirations into practical, daily actions.
Distaff Day Activity: Weaving Value Threads Into Daily Life
On Distaff Day, spinners weaved threads of different colors and textures into their distaffs to create beautiful patterns.
Similarly, we can weave the threads of our values into our daily routines.
Behavior follows what you hold in your mind. When you focus on your values, you lose interest in what once grabbed your attention, such as my desire for white go-go boots (see Jan 1: Your Life on Purpose).
You create a more intentional and fulfilling life by being aware of your values and aligning your actions.