If you’ve noticed the lifestyle calendar quieten down over December and early January, you’re not imagining things. Every year, many lifestyle events intentionally take a step back over the Christmas and New Year period — and there are very good reasons for it.
Far from being a negative, this seasonal pause is often healthy, practical, and very much in tune with how most people actually live their lives.
December Is Already a Juggling Act
For many in the lifestyle, December is one long game of calendar Tetris.
Between:
- Work Christmas parties
- End-of-year wrap-ups
- School concerts and presentations
- Sports break-ups
- Family gatherings
- Friends catching up “before things get busy”
- And kids who suddenly have everything on
…time becomes the rarest commodity of all.
Even the most enthusiastic social butterflies can find themselves completely booked out, exhausted, and running on caffeine and festive leftovers. Adding lifestyle events into that mix can feel less like fun and more like pressure.
Family Comes First (Yes, Even in the Lifestyle)
A large portion of the lifestyle community has children, extended families, and responsibilities that peak at this time of year.
December and early January are often about:
- Being present with family
- Managing school holidays
- Travelling to see relatives
- Creating memories with kids
- Simply being home
Many couples intentionally press pause on lifestyle events so they can focus on family, recharge emotionally, and reconnect privately without social commitments pulling them in every direction.
The Cost Factor Is Very Real
Let’s talk money — because December is expensive.
Between gifts, food, travel, school costs, holidays, and festive “just one more thing” purchases, budgets are often stretched thin. Then January arrives with a credit card statement that feels like it needs its own counselling session.
For many people, attending lifestyle events — tickets, drinks, outfits, babysitters — simply isn’t a priority during this period. And that’s completely okay.
Venues Are Harder to Secure
From an organiser’s perspective, December is one of the hardest months to run events.
Venues are:
- Booked out with corporate functions
- Focused on high-revenue Christmas trade
- Short-staffed
- Less flexible with private spaces
- Often more expensive
Even great venues can struggle to provide the relaxed, private, well-managed environment lifestyle events need during peak festive season.
Rather than forcing events into less-than-ideal conditions, many reputable organisers choose to wait until they can deliver the quality experience their attendees expect.
A Pause Helps Prevent Burnout
Lifestyle events are meant to be fun, social, and energising — not another obligation.
Taking a seasonal break allows:
- Organisers to recharge
- Attendees to rest
- Couples to reconnect privately
- Everyone to return refreshed rather than burnt out
When events resume after the break, the energy is noticeably better. People are excited again. Conversations flow. Connections feel intentional instead of rushed.
What About New Year’s Eve?
New Year’s Eve is the one exception where lifestyle events do still pop up — but usually in very specific forms.
These are often:
- Ticketed events at established, reputable clubs
- Carefully managed nights with strict entry criteria
- Large, well-resourced venues like Our Secret Spot in Sydney
- Or private, invitation-only events among trusted circles
Because of the scale, expectations, and safety considerations, NYE events are typically run by experienced organisers who already have strong systems in place.
They’re not last-minute pop-ups — they’re planned, structured, and intentional.
Rest Is Part of the Lifestyle Too
Taking time away from events doesn’t mean stepping away from the lifestyle. It means honouring balance.
Christmas and New Year offer a natural pause:
- To breathe
- To reflect
- To reconnect at home
- To reset boundaries
- To build anticipation for what’s next
And when events return in late January or February, they do so with renewed excitement and stronger community engagement.
In Short: The Break Is a Feature, Not a Flaw
A quieter festive season isn’t a sign the lifestyle has disappeared — it’s a sign that people are living full lives outside of it too.
By respecting family time, financial realities, venue limitations, and personal wellbeing, the community stays healthier, happier, and far more enjoyable in the long run.
And when the calendar fills up again?
Everyone shows up rested, smiling, and ready to have a damn good time.
The NLM Events 
Leave a comment