Let’s try a different version of November this year.
To see it as a chance to snuggle down and nurture ourselves really well. To let the soft grey clouds reminded us of a blanket we could snuggle into rather than rail against. That the dark morning and evenings were an opportunity to light a candle rather than put on the big light.
Over the years I've changed my relationship with winter.
It helps that I spend more time outside than I did in my 20s and early 30s. And that connecting with nature is part of my day-to-day. I relish the colours of autumn, and the gentle peace of a walk in the woods.
Winter is easier if we can find our own way to enjoy it. To change our routines to fit. To slow down a little, and say no more. To be kinder to ourselves.
It can be harder to get ourselves out of the door to the gym or exercise class in the dark. Can we make that easier? Or change the time or duration or type of our workouts? Can we turn a run into a walk? HIIT into Pilates or Yoga?
The anticipation of a busy festive season can start early (as can the parties!) so can we find early nights and easy healthy meals to nourish ourselves well?
Our energy shifts, so can we notice that, and let ourselves off the hook if the laundry takes longer to put away, or the piles of paper build up?
Our mood can take a tumble with the darker days, can we make sure we're taking our vitamin D, and connecting regularly with the people in our lives who lift us up?
I've had some great conversations with clients recently to create their own personalised wellbeing approach to winter. They all left feeling optimistic about the months ahead.
If winter feels like something to survive rather than savour, maybe it's time to change that?
I've got a few one to one coaching spaces coming up in the winter months. We start by looking at where your energy actually goes in the winter, and create small sustainable changes around your real life - work, family, communities - so it holds steady even as the nights draw in. One change at a time, change that lasts.
You don't need to come with a plan, most of my clients come with some version of 'I know what I should do, I just find it hard to stick to in the winter' .
3 ways to take this further
Send me an email with what you find hardest about winter - I'll always respond, potentially with a simple tip I've got up my sleeve.
Book a free 15 minute call. We'll talk through where you are, and whether coaching might help. No pressure either way.
Send this blog post to a friend you know who struggles with the winter…I bet they will find something helpful here
