A Note On Wintering

Ah, January. The chaos of the holidays are over and yet it’s still dark and cold outside. Maybe you’re focused on goals for the new year, or maybe you are starting to descend into a bit of a funk (or straight-up seasonal depression). I usually do all three. However, this past year I’ve started to take a closer look at the seasons and cycles of nature, and the hidden gifts they each offer.

We often forget that we humans are part of nature. We’ve become so separated from it in our modern lives, that we forget that we are part of this much larger ecosystem. I think it goes even deeper than that…I think our psychological and spiritual selves mimic the cycles of nature in ways we may not realize.

On this journey of taking more notice of the cyclical nature of the earth, I have noticed some similarities in my own life as well. I tend to have more energy in the spring and summer. Past business launches have almost always happened in late summer or early fall. I start to become more introspective and reflective in the fall and winter months.

But let’s talk about winter for a moment…This is not just a dreary and sad season. Our modern capitalistic and patriarchal culture places a very high value on productivity, extroversion, hustle, and being on the go all the time…things we typically associate with summer. Consciously or subconsciously, we have internalized rest, introspection, introversion, contemplation, and quiet moments as “wrong”…and we probably feel the same about the winter months.

This is why so many of us feel guilty for resting, even though it’s absolutely necessary for humans and all animals (and nature!). I believe this is one reason we tend to shrug winter aside and do our best to just “get through it”. But what if we embraced it instead? What if we saw it as a necessary season not just for the earth, but for our lives as well?

Here are some ways we can embrace the beauty and stillness of winter:

-Allow yourself to rest without feeling guilty.

-Make time for introspection and reflection. This could look like meditation, journaling, or just moments of stillness by yourself.

-Have intentional cozy moments. Have a hot cup of tea while looking out at the rain or snow, get on Pinterest and look up cozy baking recipes, have more movie nights with your favorite snacks and beverages, buy yourself the softest blanket you can find, etc.

-Bundle up and go on a nature walk. Observe how the trees and plants are resting, and how that rest is necessary in order for them to blossom into life in the spring.

- I might be biased, but this is my favorite suggestion: try a cozy winter craft! Crochet and embroidery are fairly easy and inexpensive to try. In fact, you can buy embroidery kits on Etsy and Amazon and they come with everything you need. YouTube is your best friend when learning how to do a new craft…it’s how I learned how to weave.

-If you need to get out of the house, put on your favorite scarf and take yourself out to get coffee and explore a new bookstore.

-Start a cozy new nighttime routine. With the sun going down earlier, we might get tired earlier too. Give yourself permission to go to bed earlier if it’s what your body desires. You can make this even more enjoyable by starting a new routine: have a hot cup of herbal tea, read something enjoyable, listen to relaxing music, etc. before going to sleep.

-If you are a creative small business owner, grab the winter journaling prompts I designed just for you! It’s a downloadable PDF file with 24 journaling prompts and suggestions for working with the winter season.

Another way we can be gentle with ourselves this time of year is setting aside the pressure to be making and implementing new year’s goals right now. Even though the Gregorian calendar says it’s a new year, we are still in the depths of winter. I like to start feeling into new beginnings in my life around Imbolc, which is usually February 1st or 2nd in the northern hemisphere. This is when the very first stirrings of spring begin…daffodils and crocuses may be poking through the snow, and some animals begin giving birth and nursing their young (such as sheep).

This is when we may begin to naturally start thinking about new beginnings in our lives as well. To be clear, it’s still technically winter at Imbolc and the motivation to execute these new plans may not be present until later in the spring. But it’s a great time to tap into new ideas and inspirations and start planning them out.

But for now, I recommend embracing the gifts of winter, and honoring the beauty and simplicity it brings to our lives. Allow yourself to truly rest…seeing it as a necessary practice in order to allow new beginnings to blossom later on.