When winter sneaks into your bones & minds – do this.
Winter has its ways of sneaking into our bones – and into our mood.
And while sunny and snowy days with crisp air can give us a lot of energy and clarity, there are also many gloomy, grey, foggy (or simply very cold) days.
On one side, it is natural to establish a cycle in our life, one that is aligned with nature and the world around us. Having quieter days in winter, slowing down, staying with calmer energy.
In this spirit:
“Plants and animals don’t fight the winter; they don’t pretend it’s not happening and attempt to carry on living the same lives that they lived in the summer. They prepare. They adapt. They perform extraordinary acts of metamorphosis to get them through. Winter is a time of withdrawing from the world, maximising scant resources, carrying out acts of brutal efficiency and vanishing from sight; but that’s where the transformation occurs. Winter is not the death of the life cycle, but it’s crucible.” - Katherine May
Winter brings its own grace and beauty and our bodies adapt to it.
The cold and quiet leads us to do more introspection, thinking, turning within.
However, as you know at Happiness Academy we also very much root for proactivity and intentionality – so sometimes, we also want to work with boosting our mood, energy and motivating ourselves to action.
Today, I am sharing with you several practical ideas on how to deal with the winter blues – being it that you choose to savour the “quiet days”, or to move into a bit more active lifestyle.
Do pick one to put in action already this week!
1. Embrace the cozy
Light the candles and put small lights in a jar, pull out the fluffiest blankets and cushions, create cozy space and time with a book and cup of tea.
Choose music and colors that make you feel the way you would like to feel.
Surround yourself with an intimate circle of close friends (or pets), but also indulge in quiet time with yourself.
2. Boost your mood
Make a list of Happiness Boosters – all the little things that boost your positive emotions.
Make it a list of diverse ideas. (download this one for inspiration) Add things like massage, your favorite song, your favorite sport, puzzles, favorite foods, and conversations. Make it playful and fun.
Then, put it somewhere visible.
Refer to it every day.
Sounds simple…but when our mood gets a bit lower, we get into a bit of a tunnel vision – and we lose the ability to be creative thinking of ideas that would make us feel better. So, having a prepared list is a total game-changer.
3. Get in creative mode
Write, create, indulge in a creative hobby like painting or playing music, take care of plants.
Cook a meal you’ve never done before.
Activate your playfulness with a puzzle, game night, or writing challenge.
4. Move your body
Our mind is strongly impacted by our body.
So, get active!
Reconnect with sports – ideally with those that engage your mind and spirit, not just the body.
Get outside! Put on some warm clothes, do a little trip to nature. Aim to get outside daily, at least for short!
Take vitamin D if winter in your country comes with less sunshine. The sooner you start it, the better.
Aaaand, get in romantic mode – cuddles and sexy moments are one of the best ways to make our body feel alive.
5. Connect with others
Look to connect with more quality in those conversations.
Be more mindful when spending time with people close to you, share good moments and conversations (or good food and other ideas from #1 ;)).
Plan positive, light, yet meaningful and creative social activities.
Look to spend time with people who uplift you and make you feel better about yourself and about life!
6. Shift your mindset into more positivity
Our emotions (such as winter blues :)) are a consequence of two things: our biology, and our thoughts.
You can also work with our biology through our actions (such as movement, rest, vitamins), to a certain point.
But your thinking is THE element that is truly within your control!
Use that power to navigate your thoughts into direction that will give you more of positive emotions!
Here are some ideas how:
Practice gratitude. Notice little things that give you joy. Savour and appreciate those little things, truly give them your attention – meaningful conversations, good food, a beautiful view.
If mindset is something you would like to work on, and build more impact over your own thinking, I have exciting news! At Happiness Academy we offer a free email course in 8 lessons for more empowering mindset.
A moment for reflection:
Which of these 5 would be good for you to reconnect with these days? (winter blues or not :))
Set one small goal for the upcoming days to put it into action.
Looking for more insights, inspiration and tools for more fulfilled life? Or how to make your day better?
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