How To Winter Better
originally written on Feb 25 2022
I used to think that Christmas was winter. Growing up celebrating the Christian holiday and having time off from school around Christmas for “winter break”, it felt like that was the height of winter. I realized this January that I like winter better when it’s Christmas. The twinkly lights, the candles, the scents of siberian fir and frankincense. The hope and excitement of snow.
But really, winter is so much more than that. Winter is the deep quiet of a January morning with the world blanketed in snow. Winter is the darkness that envelopes the world – where everything slows down and turns inward. Winter is in hibernation mode. Winter is a time of deep reflection and re-evaluation. I think winter hits the hardest in January. And that’s when a lot of us struggle.
I’ll be honest, the post holiday blues hit me hard. I struggled. I am still struggling at times ( a little February Vacation didn’t hurt). But still, I’ve realized I need to winter better. I need to embrace winter.
Because in reality, we just hit midwinter.
Midwinter is a holiday known as Imbolc. It’s the midway between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. The days are slowly but surely getting longer.
At the same time, if you live in the Northeast, it is fully winter. The temps have dropped, the roads are salted, the evenings are still crisp. Every now and then spring breaks through saying hello, and then retreats back into hibernation mode. It’s still very much winter but there is hope of spring around the corner. Boston had a 68 degree day followed two day laters by a whole bunch of snow.
So how do we winter better?
Wintering is a retreat, it’s a mindful rest, a deep hibernation.
We winter better by changing how we approach the season. Our winter self is not the same as our summer self (and that’s okay). In order to winter better, we need to adapt to the current season, shift our expectations, and find what grounds us. In order to be our best spring self, ready to emerge, we need to embrace our full winter self.
How To Winter Better:
1.SLEEP MORE:
The natural world is darker this time of year. The sun sets earlier and rises later. A lot of the animal world is hibernating and there can be days on end where the sun might not break through the clouds. Whether you notice it or not, our bodies naturally sync with the sun. When the sun goes down, our brain sends signals to slow down and prepare for sleep. Many people feel sleepy earlier in the winter time and beat themselves up. Why can’t I get anything done? Why am I always so tired? They fight against their natural instinct to rest more, to sleep more. And by doing so, we negatively impact our mental, physical and emotional well being.
Allow yourself to sleep a little more in the winter(don’t worry you'll make it up in the summertime). Go to bed earlier, sleep a little later. Animals hibernate, humans need to learn to rest. Rest more than you might when the sun is out to play all night. Your body and your brain will thank you.
2. SLOW DOWN:
A LOT of business are naturally slower in January and I don’t think it’s a coincidence. After the holiday rush, people need a BREAK. The constant go go go at the year end can wear you down and burn you out. Often, I find more people get sick this time of year too. We are RUN DOWN. Instead of fighting the January slump, what if you embraced it. What if you allowed yourself the actual time and space to slow down. I recognize that not everyone has full control over their schedules and that work still needs to be done. You can still get shit done and REST. You can still show up for your day job and slow down. Slowing down isn’t one thing. It's a way of life.
Slowing down can look like waking up 10 minutes earlier so you can sit and enjoy your cup of coffee. Slowing down can be pausing on your lunch to go for a leisurely 10 minute walk and enjoy all the sensations of a winter walk. Slowing down can be saying NO to more social engagements and YES to more me time. Slowing down can be taking your time to complete a task and really review where you are.
Slowing down can also be doing less. Taking more personal days, going on a vacation, having more weekend days with NOTHING scheduled (gasp I know). Slowing down can be doing less and being more. At the end of the day, slowing down is a feeling. A feeling of giving yourself time and space to notice, breathe and be present. It’s the opposite of that rushed energy we all know too well. It’s an energy all of its own.
3. eSTABLISH A GROUNDING NIGHTTIME ROUTINE
My natural instinct is to keep the same schedule all year long. I love routine and I thrive on a schedule. But the reality is, with my profession, my schedule is always changing. And when that isn’t changing, the seasons are. Keeping in mind my two previous points, let the wintertime be when you have a really nourishing (maybe even lengthy) nighttime routine. Let it be a time to nourish your physical body: your skin, hair, muscles and your mental body: your mind, your emotions, your poor, often overworked brain.
Everyone’s nighttime routine looks a little different. Lately my favorite things have been about indulging my senses. Every night, I will either have a big cup of herbal tea or a thick cup of hot cocoa. I love to do a moisturizing face mask followed by facial cupping and my gua sha. I use my PEMF go Mat from Higher Dose or a heating pillow around my neck or even the electric bed sheets to create a warm and cozy environment. I put my candles and incense on or the essential oil diffuser and there are definitely twinkly lights. I’m not above watching TV before bed but lately I’ve been pulled to read a book or write in my journal. Last but not least, I have been playing around with a Yoga Nidra practice to help lull me into sleep.
It might sound like a lot but when I work until 7/8pm at night, I find it hard to wind down. I use my 5 senses to slow my body and brain down so I can better prepare for a restful night's sleep. It can take me 10 minutes or 30 minutes, but every night I do something to ground myself and nourish my mind, body and soul. And I always sleep better when I do.
4. RE-EVALUATE WHERE YOU ARE:
Take some time this winter to re-evaluate or evaluate where you are. It’s a good time of year to check in. There aren’t as many outside demands on our systems, there aren’t as many social demands and depending on where you live, there aren’t as many readily available things to do. Cozy up with your notebook and check in with yourself. Notice where you are, where you want to be and how you feel.
Need a starting place? Try some of these journal prompts:
What in my life am I really enjoying right now?
What in my life is really weighing on me right now?
What are some of my goals for this year? This month? Am I on track to hit these?
What do I want to feel as I emerge into spring?
What would it look like, feel like, be like to fully embrace rest this winter?
What are small things that bring me great joy?
Giving yourself the time and space to slow down and be present with your thoughts can serve you well as you re- emerge into spring.
5. CHooSE COZY:
I saw embrace ALL the coziness!! Bring on the fuzzy blankets, the big ugly Irish sweaters, the heated blankets and the warm beverages. I’ll admit I am a big textures person and I find different senses really soothing. For example, a soft blanket on my skin, soft lighting, a diffuser going or incense burning are deeply soothing to my soul. Add in my favorite herbal tea and GOLDEN!
We can use our senses to our advantage to soother our nervous system. As humans we are very sensory based beings. Think about how our babies and small children first explore the world: they seek with their eyes, they feel with their hands, they put everything in their mouth (taste) and they are highly curious of sounds around them. Along the same vein, what are some ways you can soothe small children? Cooing, singing, humming, rocking them, rubbing their backs or bellies, soft lighting, their favorite blanket… you are seeing the pattern here right? These are all ways that we can nourish OURSELVES and OUR nervous systems.
Use the coziness of the season and the power of your 5 senses to soothe your nervous system and go from just surviving in winter to genuinely enjoying it.
6. START A NEW TRADITION: WINTER CHEER LIGHTS
I’ll be honest, I didn’t come up with this one. I heard the idea from one of my client’s. She told me that it always felt depressing to take down ALL the Christmas decorations and lights in January. So instead they started a new tradition years ago. Winter Cheer Lights. They keep “christmas' ' lights or twinkly lights up around their house until the spring equinox. A small celebration of finding light even in the darkest of days and a simple way to find joy when you might be struggling. Personally, I have always had twinkly lights in my bedroom, or at least since I started college. They were relaxing and soothing when I was up late studying. It brought a sense of calm to my overall being– so I am all on board for Winter Cheer lights. I usually save white lights for year round and colored lights for the holiday. I think I am going to keep a few of my colored lights around the house to brighten those dark days.
So there you have it friends, 6 ways to Winter Better. There is no magic trick here. Some winters (coughthis winter *cough*). are tough but miserable is different than tough. in each winter, I believe you can find the bright spots no matter what seasons of life you are in. I also believe that you can thrive in winter if you slow down, embrace the inward spiral of the year and enjoy the time of deep reflection. Fully thriving thought takes time and commitment… and the ability ( and privelge) of bucking the system of bit (More to come on that…)
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