Embracing The Seasons
Have you ever been caught in a bout of the winter funk? It might look something like lower energy and motivation levels, general fatigue of the gray skies and cold weather, and possibly connecting less with others and opting to isolate more.
If you are experiencing this, you are far from alone.
Although I started the winter season with the intention of staying positive, there is no doubt I have been tested and have found myself in some low moments and days– sometimes weeks at a time. Through these down periods of time, I always lean on my core mindsets formed through a practice of mindfulness.
One mindset choice I like to make involves embracing the seasonality of life. While there are some beautiful places that stay warm and sunny all year long, most of us live in places where we experience changing weather and endure mild or brutal winters.
Here in Rhode Island, we experience the classic four seasons with very different weather patterns for each season. Winter tends to seem extra long, extending through March and leaving us feeling like the summer sun will never find our face again.
Maybe this is okay though. Maybe it is beautiful – to be able to experience the summer sun, the winter snow, fall leaves, spring flowers, and all the in betweens. Perhaps winter is your favorite (or least favorite) season, but without the other seasons to contrast, how would you even know what your favorite was?
This falls within the simple idea that without the lows, we would not have any highs. With each new season, we naturally experience an unfolding of mini highs and lows throughout. Each micro high and low is what I challenge myself to experience, to embrace each moment as fully as possible.
I remind myself of the beauty in seasons and change. I let myself fully feel the lows of winter, using it as an opportunity to cuddle up in bed a bit more and not feel guilty about it, while reveling in down time to rest. If I’m feeling like too much of a couch potato, I push myself outside– even if it's for a 10 minute walk, bundled up in many layers. Sometimes I just open my blinds in the morning, let my face hit the sun, and take a few breaths before I get going with my day.
There are endless things you can do to form a grounding center of positivity. This journal is not here to tell you a specific golden key answer, but to remind you that:
1. You are never alone
2. The seasons will continue to change and there will be sunshine again
3. The light you need is always inside of you. Allow yourself to step back, take a deep breath, and find it, even for a moment. It will ripple in more ways than you can imagine with some practice.