I’ve always loved winter and anything that makes me feel as comfy and as cozy as we. In fact, it’s my second favorite season next to Autumn and I’ll die on that hill because Fall is the best of all.
Anyway.
Over the last few years, I began to realize the online world packaging and selling the winter season and its accompanying cold, gray days as something to just.survive until more mental health friendly seasons arrive. You know the seasons where the trees are blooming and the sun rises before 7:00 am and sets past 4:00 pm? Seasons where we have more than eight hours of daylight and therefore have more motivation and motivation is what we should always have. Where being outside is a pleasurable experience because who doesn’t want to soak up the warmth of the sun’s rays on a summer day?
And I took the bait.
So much so that I started to correlate an increase in my depression and anxiety with January and February. These next two months are long and often times gray and there’s not much in the way of holidays except for say- Valentine’s Day- which can be a mood killer in and of itself. I also came to the conclusion that the cold weather hurts my bones and probably related, my social media feed was full of tips and tricks on how to survive the winter S.A.D.
Because we are more influenced by influencers than we realize I began seeing winter as a season to just.survive and if you have only one take away from this blog post then let it be this: we are what we consume.
Buu-uuut, having a SAD winter never sat well with me because historically, winter made me so very happy-cold intolerance aside. Which leads me to the conclusion that my enjoyment of winter is in direct proportion to the amount of snow we might get.
I love the possibility of being snowed in for days on end. Sitting on my couch enveloped in my most favorite olive green blanket that I’m pretty sure used to be a comforter and also not quite sure how it landed on my sofa. But it is made of a material that is light enough to be cool when you first cover up with it but then heavy enough to keep you warm without making you sweat. I want to be under that blanket with a mug full of hot tea (because I drink tea now).
And I want to watch snow falling out my front window and count the falling flakes as they land on top of each other and accumulate into a soft white cloud like blanket for my front lawn creating the most picturesque scene. That is my idea of winter bliss.
Not to mention the silence that a good snowfall brings to nature. It’s intoxicating. It’s comforting. It’s peaceful. Sitting outside after snow has fallen and rendered the outside quiet and somehow warmer and brighter. Soaking in the bluish gray skies. Heaven. Sitting outside in snowy silence is my second favorite winter activity next to watching it fall. It reminds me of a Bob Ross painting and the fact that I love watching Bob Ross paint at all should tell you everything you need to know about how much I embrace an invitation to slow down and settle in.
In fact, I don’t find inherent joy in anything that activates my nervous system. Hustle and grind culture is my enemy and activities that promote a release of adrenaline are my kryptonite. I am not of fan of having plans or making plans. I may be in some sort of writer’s rat race but I don’t thrive on competition and I really don’t care to do what it takes to succeed. I am more of a finding joy kind in the soft silence of a safe environment kind of person and if other people want to come along for the ride, then welcome.
And if they’d rather be on the social media roller coaster of emotionally activating content- well, then I wish them well.
Anyway.
The point. What is the point?
Oh yea, now I remember.
A couple of years ago I stumbled upon a fellow writer: Kristen LaValley and her “Wintering” series. No, this isn’t an ad. I’m just setting the bluish- gray scene.
Anyway, the biggest takeaway that I remember from that series was this Earl Gray, hot chocolate concoction that created the most decadent beverage (still not an ad) and it brought me such an immense amount of comfort and joy that I decided to be more curious about this idea of “Wintering.”
True to internet form, a good idea catches on like wildfire (or perhaps my algorithm knows my number) and over the last couple of years (more specifically this season) I’m not sure there isn’t anybody not talking about wintering and I wanted to make that sentence as grammatically confusing as possible so… there.
I’m not officially on social media but I still have an in with Instagram (ahem, Love Will Foundation moderator here) and when I do scroll, I’m scrolling accounts talking about “Wintering.”
Ok so what the fork is “Wintering”?
If I remember correctly, it’s rooted in Swedish tradition and it’s the idea or invitation to embrace winter for what it is and what it can offer.
Prior to my discovering the term wintering most of what I was seeing on the matter was how to simply survive the cold, lifeless months. How to keep seasonal depression at bay and how to merely cope with the shorter days and longer nights. I’ve lived long enough in a post traumatic state that I’m tired of simply surviving. I’m tired of just coping. I’m ready for more. I’m in my keep going, trust the process and it all matters era.
All that to say that I’ve decided to go back to my snow loving roots and embrace this wintering concept for all it has to offer. Since I’ve already spent time and energy combing through the interwebs for all the best ways to “winter,” I figured I’d save you the same and share my favorite tips with you. You know, the ones that stopped me in my reindeer tracks and made the joy in my heart palpable.
So, without further ado…
Lean in. Changing seasons may be akin to the stages of grief. “I just want to sleep all day” and we say that like it’s a bad thing. Like it’s something we’re trying to avoid. Like we’re in denial that winter might be a season of rest. I think that is what can make winter so hard. Trying to make it into a season it’s not. And in the process, we’re fighting Mother Nature’s greatest invitation: restoration. We are mammals after all and if I remember anything from fourth grade science it’s that animals hibernate in winter. So why are we fighting what nature intended us to do? Instead of trying to keep the pace that longer lit days afford, lean into what winter is offering: a time to rest and a time restore. If for no other reason than aren’t you curious what’ll happen if you do?
Breathe in. Irregardless of the temperature, fresh air is medicine. Take a few minutes each day and step outside or sit by an open window and breathe the fresh cool air into your lungs. Allow the refreshing chill to reset your airways. To bring mindfulness to your breath. To set an intention for your day.
Now, because I am also a heath care professional who worked with pulmonary patients for a decade, disclaimer: if you have asthma or COPD use your inhaler and/or cover your mouth with a wool scarf before trying this life hack so that it can remain a life hack in mental health maintenance and not a story about how you ended up at urgent care after reading some rando’s online blog post. Please and thank you.
Keep the ambiance. Ever think about why the holidays are so magical? Ok, I know that’s a loaded question and also I’m trying to make a point so I’m just going to tell you one of the many reasons that we might find the holidays magical. I think it is in part to the lights. There’s just something about the feeling of lights in the dark. It’s beautiful and fun and cozy and why do we only put up lights at Christmas? So, when I read the tip to leave the lights up, I let that influence me. I will say that I am a bit of a rule follower and also fully Pavlov’s dog so I can’t do red and green or anything holiday themed after Jan 1. It just doesn’t feel right. But I can do snowmen. And white lights and lit candles. So, this year, I am keeping up all the holiday decorations that didn’t feel too North Pole and let me tell you…that ambiance? It makes things cozy and warm and peaceful and really, it makes the early sunset more enjoyable.
Slow down. Keep the calendar as clear as possible. Spend a Sunday smelling soup slow cooking in the crockpot. Eat warm meals and snuggle up under those fave blankets. Move for your mental health in a way that feels slow and loving and also in temperature controlled environment like inside. Let your movements mirror the softness of snow with the purpose of fire.
Be still. Winter is still. You don’t see a lot of birds in the sky or animals scurrying through the yard. You don’t see a lot of trees with leaves or grass that needs to be cut. And most importantly- you don’t see a lot of bugs. The outside in winter is quiet. And it’s still. And it’s still serving its purpose so why don’t we allow ourselves to be the same?
Anyway.
Those are my favorites. I hope you find a way to make this winter a season that serves your spirit and fills your soul. I hope you accept the invitation from nature to slow down and settle in. And if you can’t get on board with “Wintering” then I hope you can at least find joy and comfort in the fact that there.are.no. bugs.
If you like what you’ve read, then I’m pretty sure you’ll like my book.
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