No Matter the Weather
Baked goods, blankets, and taking on winter
It’s December which means my eyes get wide around baked goods and sweets – which are everywhere! (How does that happen?) Also, I want a warm beverage and to be cozy and immobile. Bring on the blankets!
Shonda Rhimes in Year of Yes calls this “veal practice” which basically just involves, “me lying very still on the sofa trying as hard as I can to mimic the life of a veal. While eating veal.”
As an aside and to pre-empt any objections, Yes, I know I now live in Southern California. And before anyone jumps in to ask how I could possibly complain about winter in LA, the purpose of this post is not to complain or compete for who has the harsher winter. (Pretty sure you would win anyway.) Though LA is still in the Northern Hemisphere, and it does get dark here by 5pm, that’s not what this is about.
Instead, I want to talk openly about how we are affected by this season and find strategies together.
The tendency to gravitate toward baked goods and curl up in a ball may not be universal, but I know I’m not the only one to slow down, have less energy, and want to move less when the days get shorter. Humans don’t hibernate like bears per se, but our bodies naturally slow down this time of year.
In fact, many people experience Seasonal Affective Disorder, which is more than just the winter blues. I’m glad we’re talking about this more and discussing strategies to help people who really struggle through the winter. I know when I lived in Update New York, the only way I made it through the winters was with one of those bright lights that mimics the sun.
That and lots of tears. (Just kidding – mostly.)
The bleakness of winter makes me think of the Serenity Prayer, originally prayed by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr and shared widely especially by our siblings in 12 step programs:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
(Find the original full prayer here).
Weather is the quintessential fact of life we cannot change. (Apart from the whole human-induced climate change part.) We cannot change winter, or any weather, no matter how hard we try. Will it rain today? Will the wind pick up? Weather is just one of many things that are outside of our power to control or influence in the slightest. Yet, we can change what we wear and how we respond to the weather.
A few ways to adapt no matter the weather:
Embrace that this season may be difficult. This is a great time to take some things off your calendar if you can. It’s ok to stay in at night if you want to and it serves you. Slow down. I need to remember this especially today.
Get outside. Yes, this sounds like a contradiction to the suggestion above, and it might be. But the point here is to be intentional to experience fresh air when you can. Wrap up in layers, grab your umbrella, whatever tool you need, bring it. When I moved to Upstate New York and asked how to make it through the harsh winters, this was the best advice I got: don’t avoid winter, embrace it. Grab winter by the horns. Whether it’s skiing, snowshoeing, or really anything – dive into winter instead of cursing it. Just get moving!
Intentionally seek out something you love doing. Find something to look forward to that marks this time of year. Maybe something creative like coloring or knitting, maybe it’s a certain type of music or play list. But instead of seeing this time of year as defined by all the things you can’t do, look forward to the things that make the winter special.
Embrace hygge. The Danish coziness craze may not be in the public eye as much as a few years ago, but the Danes are still really into it. Light candles, create atmosphere, drink warm drinks, and be inside together. Don’t just plop down in front of Netflix and let life happen. But bring intention and joy to a night in.
And of course, if you’re around snow, have good socks and boots!
What I’m doing this week to take care of myself and embrace the season: prep meals ahead of time so I’m not hungry or eating snack food, getting fresh music to brighten the atmosphere, going to bed early, being sure not to skip my morning stretches and cup of tea, taking deep breaths, and not over-committing myself.
How about you? How are you grabbing winter by the horns and taking care of yourself in this season?
~What I’m reading~
The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed by Jessica Lahey
How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny