Spring is almost here – you can feel it in the air already! However, some of us are still affected by the somewhat shorter days for at least another month.
I have noticed that these shorter days have not affected me as much this winter because of the rituals I have created in my days. Seasons, after all, show us that our lives are meant to contain dark times, light times, expansion, contraction, and of course… change!
If you have been experiencing anxiety or sadness this winter, I invite you to try one or two of these rituals. Maybe you’ll start to look forward to what remains of these earlier evenings as you see the mystery and magic of this beautiful season…
1 – Create a Glow – The great thing about darker evenings is that they allow for the perfect candle lighting ritual. Create a sacred space in your home and light candles at dusk or when you get home from work.
2 – Start a Gratitude Journal – The longer nights allow for a time of more reflection, enjoying family memories, creating great new recipes to share with friends. This is a great time to begin the habit of gratitude. The best way to do that is to get a beautiful journal and commit to completing your day with gratitude. Start with a list of five things. Write in as much detail as you can. We live in such lavish abundance, yet it’s so easy to speed through the days without noticing. Keeping a gratitude journal will change your life!
3 – Catch Up on Movies – If you are a movie buff, this is a great time to catch up on those movies you missed in the theatres. You can keep a list in your purse or wallet and any time someone recommends a movie, take note. That way, when you go to the video store, you have a reference.
4 – Morning Work-Outs – Take advantage of the cooler weather and warm up with exercise. Start a fitness ritual. Exercise has been proven – over and over again! – to remedy everything from disease to depression. Hire a trainer for a month and learn some new exercises! The fitness habit will lift your mood like nothing else!
5 – Complete a Project – Remember that idea you had for a scrapbook? Or that language learning series you’ve been meaning to plunge into? Well, now’s the time! Winter is a perfect time to learn a new craft, create something meaningful, and get lost in the joy of a new project. Winter is also the time to go inward and lose yourself in creating. What have you been meaning to create?
6 – Get Out! – Any dog will tell you: Winter is a fabulous time to hike! It’s cold. It’s crisp. You bundle up in layers of polar fleece. And you get to experience the hidden treasures of a season that most people avoid. Make it a point to find some trails or paths near your home. Then, commit to bundling up and spending time outdoors each weekend. There’s rarely anyone else out – so you get to have acres and acres to yourself.
