Thriving In The Winter

Although we are in the second month of winter, spring is getting closer, and the anticipation of warmer weather is beckoning our senses. Nonetheless, winter is a beautiful time to slow down, reflect, and collect your thoughts.

Two years ago, I decided to stop running away from winter and embrace the lessons it was trying to teach me. And now winter has become one of my favorite seasons. Many of us dislike the cold, bitter, and uncomfortable season, but what if winter could be a time for you to thrive and grow into a better version of yourself?

Winter has been a time to let go of the past, press into the present, and get ecstatic about the future. When you welcome every season of life, it can take you on an exciting journey.

Below are a simple ways to thrive in the winter and let go of a survival mentality.

• Take time to rest.
• Make a list of goals that you want to accomplish for the winter season.
• Find time to implement things you like to do (reading, yoga, be in nature..)
• Build community (yoga classes, book clubs, therapy etc.), www.eventbrite.com (great website to look up events and connect with the community you are looking for)
• Create a winter playlist
• Take some college courses just for fun
• Connect with personal development tools (life coach, memberships, books..)
• Slowdown and be present (social media detox or spend a couple hours off your phone)
• Become a foodie (enjoy different local restaurants with good food and company)
• Book a staycation to reset you mind, body and soul
• Do a movie marathon (list your fav movies & schedule a date with yourself to watch them for a month)
• Schedule a Spa Night In (buy face masks, foot masks and enjoy the experience)
• Eat outside (winter is the perfect time to take your lunch break outdoors to admire the beauty of mother nature)
• Declutter your home
• Shop for new clothes/loungewear to prepare for Spring

Celebrating Winter Solstice

Winter solstice is when the days are shorter, darkness settles on the Earth, the weather seems colder, and hibernation is ideal. However, the winter can be a time of rest, stillness, and reflection.

I remember growing up in Detroit, Michigan, where winter lasts longer than any other season. I vowed never to live somewhere that winter existed. And so I kept that promise to myself, finding myself running away from the brutal cold. But upon relocating to Virginia at the beginning of this year, I realized it was time to confront my resentment of winter.

Whether hot, cold, or warm, every season has a specific time. I knew that as much as I loathed winter, it was time to embrace its significant role in my life.

Through my self-discovery, I learn winter is a time when I can slow down, meditate and reflect on my growth. With the end of 2022, I’m deciding to celebrate the onset of winter and not travel for the holidays. I decided to go into 2023 refresh, free and focused.

Over the years, I spent so much time on autopilot throughout the year, barely taking time to pause. But the older I get I want more moments of reflection. The winter solstice can give you time to prepare for the upcoming year in a calm, relaxing, and rejuvenating way.

So before you take a resentful path towards winter, figure out how to use this time to refocus and plan for your 2023.