Winter's Quiet

Winter brings a stillness to the world after the bustle of the holidays has worn down to a close.  While many will find a moment of relief in the closure of the holiday expectations, the stillness that comes after can feel heavy and all too quiet. How do we navigate this time of stillness?   One of the healthiest ways, is to lean into the stillness and let yourself pause, reflect, rest and restore. There is a great deal of literature that will tell you about self care and the importance of doing that. Many have asked me, “how?” or “what does that really mean?” 

Here are some practices that you can try on your own to see what suits and soothes you through the season:

Create a daily pausing ritual. 

Choose a 15 minute period of time in the day to sit, light a candle, make a cup of tea, coffee or cocoa or just be. No expectations, just reflect on how you are feeling in the moment, and what your body may need. 

Journaling. This can be hard to start, but allow yourself to go slowly. Start with questions like, What are 3 things that were hard for me today? What are 3 things that I am grateful for today? What is a good memory that surfaced today and why is that memory important to you? 

Step outside. 

Yes, even when it is cold! Notice your breath, the cold air. How does it feel?  What memories does it bring to you?   This helps you to have a “micro moment” when you are in touch with all of your senses and truly present in the moment. 

Rest without guilt. 

Winter gives us a permission slip to be a little less active outside of our homes. Curl up with a warm blanket, a favorite book. Work on a crossword puzzle, wordseach, sudoku, or start a jigsaw puzzle. It may be easier to allow yourself to sit if your hands and your brain have a distraction. Define this for yourself as healing, not laziness! 

Small connections. 

Isolation is always a winter time risk.  Allow yourself the opportunity to stay connected without the burden of pressure to do an activity or go somewhere. Send some cards to family and friends. Just a few a week will remind you of the people in your life that are still here and still connected to you. Attend a virtual support group from the comfort of home. You will meet people navigating the same highway and there is a comfort in that shared experience.  

Give yourself this opportunity to slow down and pause, and that will allow for the renewal to come in its time.