On finding balance and navigating the colder months of the year
Winter blues are officially here. How are we holding up?
I love winter. It’s my favorite season, and it feels so much easier to handle compared to the hot Greek summer. There are certain times I struggle, though, and that’s usually in the middle of January – that’s the heart of winter after all. The sun still sets early, the weather is bad, and these days are filled with gray skies, cold rain, and silence.
Over the past few days, I’ve been feeling the January blues. I struggle with waking up early and getting out of bed, and it’s also challenging to find the motivation to work on certain goals and projects. Once the sun sets down, things get a little worse. I can feel myself getting vaguely anxious, and at the same time I get restless finding it hard to wind down.
If you’ve been feeling -more or less- similar, I feel like it’s essential to not panic. The key isn’t to fight winter blues but to cooperate with it in order to get through it.
Taking everything slower
I’ve accepted that right now I can’t be as motivated as I usually am. The easy solution would be to completely give up – I’ve done it in the past, why not again? I’d just wait for my motivation to show up again, because it’d eventually do. Well, not this time because I finally give myself grace when I need to slow down.
I rest and sleep more when my body needs to – it often does in the colder months. I study less, but I still do. I work slower on my writing. Every step counts after all. There are days I do tasks that are easier to handle and they don’t require much energy. For example, yesterday I made a few changes on my homepage to give it a more magazine – vibe. It’d been in my mind for a while, but I was procrastinating being occupied with writing and promoting content. Well, it finally happened and didn’t require much time or energy.
And yes, there are times I do nothing. That’s part of the “taking it slower” mindset. Sometimes, I only need to sit in the silence with a cup of coffee and stare at the void, lost in my thoughts. I allow myself to do that and I don’t see it as wasted time.
Movement at all costs
Moving my body helps with mood and motivation, so I’ve been trying to keep up with it even if I don’t end up doing a decent work-out.
There are actually a lot of beneficial ways to get moving in winter. For a while now, I’ve been rediscovering the joy of stretching. It’s easily my favorite way to start my (early or late) mornings right now. I also like dancing to a song I enjoy or trying a gentle work-out I’ve never tried before.
You can easily discover many routines on YouTube that are perfect for the dark winter days.
Keeping the spirit alive
Nothing is gonna change magically, although it’d be nice if that happened. In the dark times, it’s up to us to find the light. Keep enjoying life and keep finding ways to do so even if you’re not feeling good right now.
In winter, I try to renew my energy and keep it moving. I like stepping outside when there’s still light and feeling the cold air on my face. I like eating comfort foods (noodles alert!) and watching movies or shows. I love bullet journaling and scrapbooking. I LOVE deep late-night conversations – I just wish more people were up to those.
I also try to keep my creativity alive because that helps keep the spark alive. Writing is a perfect activity for winter – same for coloring, doodling, and maybe learning a new skill.
Then, there’s connection too. It’s a good time to spend more time with loved ones. A hot coffee, a movie night, a dinner can make a lot of difference and remind us that inner warmth is up to us and doesn’t depend on seasons.
A shift in perspective
We often relate winter to sadness and darkness, and this kind of mindset is certainly not motivating. That’s why a change in perspective might actually help. Winter is much needed for nature’s rebirth and spring’s arrival.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate the serenity of winter around us. It’s time to take it slower and be kinder to ourselves.
It’s important to remember that it’s okay to not be very productive this winter. Spring will eventually come, and things will feel better.
Doing our best is enough right now.