COMBATTING THE WINTER BLUES
A first dawn. A clean slate. Breathing. Begin. Wrap up. Venture out. Walk. Inhale. Bare branches quiver in the icy breeze. In the house, slow mornings and quiet evenings. No need to rush. Woolen hats. Leather gloves to save the hands. No qualms about quiet nights, no plans!
September is considered by many to be center stage, the month when everything starts again, the "back to school" month, but in my opinion January deserves its spotlight more than anything else. Every year, it seems to me that January enjoys an unfair reputation. Always the same conversations assail this time of year: "Hurry up spring," "Endless January...," "The deadliest month of all...." And every year I find myself in the position of defending this month.
I know that the post-Christmas winter could be a little difficult season to get through. On the one hand, I enjoy the clean slate this period offers us all. The coziness that comes with the long winter nights and the absence of plans. And the feeling of simplicity and the stripping away of all superficiality in the home now that the holiday wreaths and leaves have gone into hibernation.
Year on year, we’re told that January is gloomy, miserable and/or depressing. Grey, drear, bleak, blue… For me, on the other hand, it represents a remarkably quiet time, made of choices, planning and new beginnings. Each of us has the power to change the way we think about almost anything. Personally, I prefer to focus as much as possible on the positive aspects. For example, instead of calling a gray day "miserable", I see it as cathartic and liberating. Instead of viewing dark nights as depressing, I welcome the comfort and intimacy they offer.
For this reason, I thought I would share some tips for combating post-holiday blues, my comforts and suggestions that always help me remember why this time of year is in its own way a bit unique, but not quite so terrible.
First of all, commit to starting something for you this month. Whether it's going for a run, starting yoga, signing up for some class to learn a new skill, or organizing the closets you've been wanting to rearrange for months, use January as the motivation you've been looking for and commit to starting something for you this month. Not only will it give you a sense of immediate satisfaction, but it's also a great way to establish new habits for the year ahead.
Embrace the winter nights. In recent years, instead of blaming the darkness of winter, I have tried to embrace the lack of light that comes with this time of year. One of my simplest methods? Simply slipping into bed a little earlier each night so that I can sleep well and wake up in time to see the sun rise in the city.
Light some candles and read a good book or, why not, a motivational audiobook. There is something about a chilly January dawn spent listening to a motivational audiobook that fills me with optimism and hope for the year ahead.
Finally, embrace the cold and get outside!
Let's face it, although we've been blessed with beautiful frosty mornings over the past few weeks, we've also had our share of gloomy days (and that's perfectly fine!) That said, daily walks ground me all year round, so when it comes to battling any kind of melancholy, a cool walk will always be my choice.
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