The smell of freshly cut grass, the waft of lavender that swims its way to my nose after I accidentally brush past it, the butterflies landing on the Verbena as they gently wave around in the breeze, and the sweet tomatoes! Those juicy plump vividly red tomatoes that I can pluck from inside the greenhouse. All of these seem like a long distance joy on a cold, wet and blustery day as this one.
The skeletons of the once blooming Verbena are blowing sideways and my grass looks more like a quagmire! I sit at my computer looking at this grey scene where the light never seems to get any brighter, and those summery scenes not only seem like an age away but an age to come.
The reality is it won’t be long until I will be able to get out and sow the seeds for some early plants. Within the next few weeks I’ll start to see the snowbells and the tiny tips of the soon to be tall tulips poking out of the soil. This grey, brown, dull world will soon be bursting with colour.
Yet it doesn’t stop me feeling sluggish and grotty about this time of year. I want to get out to garden but being pelted in the face with sharp raindrops does not bring me joy at all. What does bring me some joy is hiding under a blanket with a brew, but that can only be sustained for so long before your mind becomes irritable for something more.
With a decrease of serotonin (a happy hormone) and an increase in melatonin (a sleepy hormone) is it little wonder we can feel down and just want to curl up under a blanket. If that’s what brings you joy and helps you to keep going, go and do that.
Wintering is something we see all around us in nature. Many plants become dormant, some die back and all in all there is a general attitude of slowing down. Much of our sluggishness comes from trying to act like the summer versions of us in deep winter, always on the go, always active, always giving it everything. Nature doesn’t do that, and an important act of wintering is not to do it ourselves.
Top Tips for Wintering
If you’re like me and you can only slow down so far, here are some gentle activities you can do which slows you down from top speed and boosts those all important serotonin levels. By doing these you’ll hopefully find that you’re not just surviving the winter but thriving.
Getting outside
One of the best ways to increase our serotonin is to get outside. Even on a dull day it will help you, which isn’t the easiest when it feels like we’re on week four of none stop rain. Wainwright once said “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just unsuitable clothing.” and I think that’s utter pants. However it is rarely so bad that we can’t find 20-30 minutes in a day to go for a little walk, run or bike ride. I’ve recently discovered I can’t walk without a purpose, I’m not a mindless wanderer as much as I’d like to be, so I make Scavenger Hunts. You can see the seasonal scavenger hunts over on my Instagram account. It’s more for me than it is for you (please do give it a go though).
Praying and stretching
If you don’t pray then meditation will work well, it’s about focusing on the present and thinking outside of yourself. The stretching gets your body active and the repetitive motions can increase all the happy hormones too. I try and start my day off with it and it really helps me to stop thinking of the dark and grim winter, and focuses me in on the good stuff.
Being Creative
Well that’s a no brainer isn’t it, considering I’ve based my whole freelance career on it! When I’m feeling sluggish outside of work projects I pause, breathe, and think about what would make me feel happy right now. Sometimes it’s writing a story or a poem, sometimes it’s drawing absolutely random pictures, or baking. In the book “Making Winter” by Emma Mitchell she touches on creative activities like painting and drawing. She describes how easy it is to feel that there’s no value in even beginning because they will never end up in a gallery. But, she says, that’s missing the point. The process of making brush strokes, or kneading some dough, or blitzing through a jigsaw can dial down the stress levels. So who cares if you aren’t creating a masterpiece, create because it’s good for you and brings you joy.
And finally
Socialise
Hanging out with other humans doing an activity together is a beautiful way to raise all our happy hormones. The culinary artist, chef and baker Loria Stern recently posted on her Instagram account (@loriastern) that all this rain is making her want to not leave her house and only cook in her cozy kitchen with music and friends. Oh bliss. Combine any of the above with friends and I think you’ve got a pretty good formula for thriving. Now unfortunately I don’t have a long list of friends who can just drop by. My routine is filled with getting the kids to their respective groups and life admin. Between that and my husband shifts you need to give me lots of notice to hang out, however, I’ve begun planning ahead. I’ve looked at events, looked at possible free weekends and slowly I’m planning how to be social over the year. Fascinating simply the knowing these events are coming makes me feel lighter and happier.
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And if all that fails remember January means the days are getting longer, the snowdrops will be out soon, and apparently the colours yellow and red increase our happy hormones so just stare at those colours and you’ll be grand.
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