It’s December! I’ll Just Put the Kettle On… 

As an English immigrant, I was brought up with the unspoken belief that a cup of tea is the answer to every problem. My first memory of receiving this cultural gesture was when I split my chin and tongue open: I had stood in the bath to reach for soap at the nearby sink, slipped, cracked my chin on the side, and bit through my tongue. I was about six, and before we headed to the hospital for stitches, Mum put the kettle on and we all had a cuppa – even, and perhaps especially, for me.   

This ritualised response to shock, bad news, or awkwardness – boiling the kettle, waiting, stirring, drinking – forces a brief pause. It can interrupt the surge of stress and help calm the nervous system. Some behavioral psychologists suggest this is because the ritual signals to your brain that you are back in control.  Warm drinks are also naturally associated with comfort and safety, offering a felt sense of being cared for, especially when the tea is shared. In those shared moments, our bodies often release oxytocin – the ‘bonding hormone’ – giving us a quiet, chemical nudge toward connection and ease.  I remember the borrowed calm in which I climbed into the car, tea still warm in my belly, as we drove off to the Emergency Department. 

December always seems to arrive in a rush.  Work deadlines pile up, inboxes overflow, and the to-do lists for Christmas and summer holidays start breeding on the kitchen bench. In the middle of all that, I notice an old reflex rising in me – the urge to put the kettle on. 

As I sit with my French Early Grey, I can see how much of my resilience was cultivated in those early childhood cups of tea. It was not through comments like ‘stay strong’ or ‘push on’, nor on pretending the blood seeping through the bandage didn’t matter. It grew from being allowed to be small and shaken and still welcomed to the table: the cup of tea from my mum, a look of understanding from my dad, the company of my younger siblings gathered close. That same, ordinary magic is available to us now in December – not only in the glitter of the celebrations, but in the messy build-up, when we choose to slow down, put the kettle on, and share the season together, one simple cup at a time. 

Song – Polly Put the Kettle On by the Cedarmont Kids 

A Cup of Tea – Short Zen Story 

Children’s Story – The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr 

Wishing everyone at Live Well a December that feels less like a race and more like a shared cuppa – with enough pauses, kindness, and kettle-on moments to carry you gently into the new year.