Surviving the Shorter, Colder Days Winter Doesn’t Have to Suck
Making it a Good Winter for People Who Hate Winter
About 2 seconds ago, it was summer. The air was warm from the second you stepped out your front door to the end of long nights under the stars.
Now it’s cold, it gets dark at 5 pm, and the majority of the fall leaves are dead and gone.
In the balance of things you can and cannot control in this world, you might not be able to control the weather, but you can control how you feel about it. Let’s make this winter a good one.
Trick Your Brain into Loving Winter
You can sort of trick your brain into loving winter by going out of your way to find things you love about it and getting really excited about them!
Just imagine this: you look out your window and see that it started snowing. Your normal reaction might be something like, “ah cool, it’s snowing,” then returning to whatever you were doing. Instead though, try getting really, really excited. Act like it’s your first time ever seeing snow and remember how cool it is that snow is falling from the sky! If you’re with other people, get them to join your excitement. Jump up and down and let your happiness be contagious. Run outside and look up at the sky with your arms spread wide, a smile on your face, and your tongue out to catch snowflakes. As easily as you could have just returned to what you were doing, you now have a really happy winter memory.
In those brief, bitter cold moments just walking between your car to your destination, you can create a happy little memory if you try. Being out in the cold might not be your favorite experience. But once in a while, instead of rushing to get back inside to the warmth, slow down for just a second to enjoy it out there. Slide around on the ice, chuck a snowball at your friend and be ready for them to get you back, stop to stare at how pretty the trees are when they’re covered in snow.
Watch the Sunrise More
One benefit of the days being shorter, is that the sun rises later than it does in the summer. Waking up in time to watch the sunrise becomes more manageable, and this is just something you have to take advantage of.
It doesn’t matter if its winter or summer, the sky gets filled with color every morning. When the grass is brown, the trees are bare, and the sky is cold and grey for most of the day, the sunrise is a bit of warmth and color that you can depend on.
Find a Way to Love the Extra Time You Spend Inside
So maybe you end up spending more time inside than you would wish for during the winter, but there are ways to make the most out of it.
Settle into your comfort zone, while simultaneously stretching the limits of it. What I mean is, embrace the extra time inside. Pay extra attention to making your space a safe, comfortable spot and while you’re there, use the time to grow, get to know yourself better, and set new goals for yourself.
Reflect on yourself, read more, journal, cut out extra time for self-care, and try out a new hobby or two. Finally try the thing you’ve always said you wanted to try, like playing the guitar or practicing yoga.
Make a Winter Bucket List
Feeling like this needs to be a blog post of it’s own, but here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Make a snowman
- Go sledding
- Decorate a gingerbread house
- Make a snow angel at night while snow is falling
- Go to the mountains
- Have a holiday movie marathon
- Go ice skating
Make a bucket list and keep up with it. This is a super easy way to come up with fun ideas and make sure you’re really living and doing fun things.
Time keeps moving, and the warm weather will come back. Until then, keep on living and creating that happy life you dream of. This winter will be a good one. I promise.
Written by @peaceofliv
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