Wintering

Nurturing yourself during the darkest of seasons.

Nov 09, 2024

Do you dread the dark winter months? Do you feel the depression of the season, or suffer burnout and lethargy that results in you feeling a little rudderless?

Let’s face it, it can be pretty bleak come November and looking towards the other side of Christmas, January isn’t very inspiring either, in fact, it’s a bit lack lustre after all the festivities – however, that leads us into a different phase.

The darkest times fall before the winter solstice (which occurs around the 21^st December), yet, there’s still interesting things to observe out in nature. Look for green woodpeckers who love a good-sized lawn and will roost in nearby mature trees. Listen for geese flying overhead as part of a perfect ‘V’ formation. Geese often symbolise guidance and protection; they can lead us to understand we all have a path to follow, in the spiritual sense. And don’t forget to look out for redwings and fieldfares that will be arriving from colder climes for the winter, feasting on the last of the berries.

Granted, for many, winter is a time of dread; a time when we can feel unmotivated and even a little depressed. That said, with some help, it’s possible to embrace the positive aspects of the season and learn to harness the power and energy to make things work for you. It’s all about training our minds and creating a positive, nurturing and productive environment during those dark winter months.

“The colour of springtime is in the flowers; the colour of winter is in the imagination…” Terri Guillemets

We can turn winter into a thorough wellbeing sanctuary, one that not only works on your perspectives and combats seasonal depression, but helps us to get inspired to plan and achieve our goals, look inwards and get ourselves onto that productive path towards self-discovery, giving us the inspiration and tools to thrive during this season and transform our physical and mental wellbeing.

This article, ‘Wintering,’ is a little piece that is all about discovering how to nurture yourself, focus on your personal growth, maximize your comfort, and support your mental health during the shorter, darker days, ready for when the light starts to return following the winter solstice. Hopefully, this will help you to feel energized and motivated as you become inspired to create and enjoy your very own self-care winter!

So, let’s have a look at some of the simple steps we can consider in order to make our winter a lot more bearable and more purposeful.

1. Examining Winter – Embracing the Melancholy of the Darkest Season

It’s often very easy to tune into our sense of dread and focus on that, so much so that we can miss the positives that the season has to offer. We often hunker down, going into full firefighting mode, when in fact what we need to do is to take time to look for, and identify, the positive aspects of this dark season. It may be dark outside for longer, but we can fill our hearts with light if we put our minds to it (literally). Remember, where attention goes, energy flows, so you need to detach your focus on those things you don’t like and start looking for the good.

So, what are those positive aspects that you can think of, that you can build upon and use as a basis for getting through winter? How can you feel better about the season? Grab a notebook and spend five minutes writing whatever comes into your mind. Dream, ponder, and then write some more. You don’t have to identify anything big – unless you want to, remember, the simple things are equally as important. It could be anything from walking the dog, to taking a long hot bath. Let your imagination run free and allow your pen to guide you.

2. Changing Your Outlook

Changing your outlook builds on the previous exercise and enables you to reframe things a little. How we think about and frame our thoughts can almost always help us to see a situation in a different light and as a result, to feel better. It’s like looking at the other side of a coin. Our brain cannot identify what is true or false, but it can react to how you ‘feel’ something, thus altering our vibration and energy. Remember, emotion is just ‘energy in motion’. Let’s make that good energy!

To do this, we need to switch our focus to those things that have the power to make us feel better. Rather than admit we dread those dark and cold evenings, let’s instead say, we look forward to witnessing dramatic early morning sunrises, or the beauty of a decadent hoar frost – whatever it might be for you that you’ve identified as a positive – the more forgiving side of that coin. Relax, unwind, see it in your mind’s eye, take in the ‘vision’ and take time to really explore how it makes you ‘feel’. Feelings are really important because they send messages to your brain. You can even enhance this exercise by using scents to stimulate your senses. Your brain will take this in, and you will instantly feel the benefits.

3. Finding the Light and Creating Our Own Environment

Building on things further, have a think about how you can create your own little self-care environment, based on those previous ‘feel good’ visions. What will that will look like for you? It’s going to be uniquely yours, so you can really get creative and curious here! You can go ahead and see this as an opportunity to create your own freedom and opportunities. What brings you light? What can you do to bring just a little joy and anticipation into your days and weeks? Do some more journaling if you need to. Take time to really explore and feel the inspiration.

We all have our own coping mechanisms; however, I’ve put together a little list of activities for you to consider – ‘a month of wintering’, which you can change to suit your preferences. You don’t have to do them all, and you can do some of them repeatedly if you so wish, or you can choose some to support small steps and habit changes that will pay off in the future, or completely invent your own! It’s up to you! Based on the previous exercise utilizing journaling, set yourself a challenge to come up with a plan that works for you. When you do come to complete and appreciate each activity on your plan, it’s important to practice being really ‘present’ in the moment – no distractions, just feel the purity of the moment itself. Be mindful.

“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally…” Jon Kabat-Zinn.

A Plan for Wintering:

1. Take time to look for, and buy, a nice notebook;

2. Donate to your favourite charity;

3. Grab a take-out and your favourite bottle of wine;

4. Create your very own sense of ‘hygge’ – light a candle, pretty tea lights, hang fairy lights and bring some nature inside. Eat a delicious pastry - embracing nordic style treats!

5. Take a long bath with your favourite aromatherapy – try natural spa factory geranium and grapefruit body salt scrub;

6. Make some winter comfort food – try different nourishing soups with seasonal veg or take a cook class;

7. Have fun making a ‘vision board’. What do you want to see more of in your life?

8. Go to a nice café and take time to people watch and journal. Discover herbal teas or seasonal lattes;

9. Write a gratitude list;

10. Visit a grand stately home;

11. Plan a bracing walk;

12. Wrap up warm and go for fish and chips by a deserted promenade;

13. Watch a feel good movie;

14. Read a book while wearing cosy socks, your softest PJs and a heated snuggly blanket;

15. Experience new, super soft PJs and fresh bedding;

16. Indulge in an early night;

17. Wake to go outside and watch a sunrise – feel yourself awaken and take in nature around you. While in gentle meditation be aware of all your senses;

18. Get dressed up and take afternoon tea, or make it at home;

19. Visit a Christmas market in a pretty town or vibrant city;

20. Read a Christmas story or a kids Christmas story to rediscover your inner child!

21. Eat by candle and fire light (a glorious cheeseboard with grapes and crackers);

22. Visit a festive cathedral;

23. Listen to classical music or see a candlelit concert;

24. Diffuse essential oils and apply a face and foot mask;

25. Visit a country pub;

26. Arrange to spend time with a good friend you’ve not seen in ages;

27. Go out for cocktails;

28. Get creative in any way you can – could this mean art, or music?

29. Do a mini wardrobe edit;

30. Shop your closet to make up outfits from your existing items by trying out different accessories;

31. Plan next year’s travels;

32. Plan a winter themed activity like sledging, cross country skiing, visiting a winter theme park or illuminated gardens;

33. Get clear on your winter skincare;

34. Do some decluttering at home; the clearing of space is symbolic with preparing for renewal and fresh starts.

NOTE: The idea is to spread the activities out over two or three months - or whatever time period suits you really. You don’t need to fit them all into a short period of time. The idea is that various activities will contribute to and enhance the rest of your time spent ‘wintering’.

4. Looking Inward Towards Rejuvenation

Prior to the solstice, we’ll be guided by the light of the Woodcock Moon in November and the Oak Moon in December. January brings the Wolf Moon. Those who are familiar with following the cycles of the moon can liken winter to the waning phase, which is all about recuperation, self-care, and reflection. It’s likely to be a time of low physical energy. A time where we look to recharge and we take time to understand what we have learned and where we can show up more, and we can do this type of reflection while doing some of the activities I’ve set out for the ‘plan for wintering’.

Aside the practical plans that I’ve discussed here, winter is the perfect time to align with nature to rejuvenate, just like nature is doing at this very time. Tease out that self-awareness and self-exploration and help yourself to overcome your challenges. Try to identify your hopes and dreams. Take moments to reflect and time to build up confidence to approach the coming months with renewed potential. If you reflect on your purpose, you can put in place steps towards a plan for moving forward.

Summary

In order to get through the darker months, don’t just focus the harshness that can sometimes come with winter, instead feel the soft nurturing side too, and use inner warmth to recharge those batteries. Use your time to find and identify your rough direction to see where the first shoots of spring growth might take you – when they eventually surface. What is being revealed to you? Can you get to a point where you are feeling excited and confident? Hopefully the answer will be yes!

And don’t forget, even though we’re in colder months, don’t neglect the importance of staying hydrated. Drink plenty of water!

Country and Hygge

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