A TIME TO REFLECT
It’s been a tough year for all, but the cold, frosty winter season is the perfect time to stop, press pause and think about plans for the future, says wellbeing writer Jane Alexander
Relax and press pause
As we move towards deep winter, there’s a hush, a stillness, that descends. Once the frenzy of Christmas has passed, the promise of a new year beckons. It’s the time of hibernation and for hunkering down. The days are short and the prospect of spring seems a world away. This is the quiet time, the resting time, when nature withdraws in on itself and waits, slumbering. If we’re sensible, we’ll follow that example and use the winter season as a time to pause and reflect – a time for looking back over the year that has passed and nurturing our dreams for the one to come. And, given the year we’ve just had, this process is likely to be even more meaningful and transformative than ever…
BE GENTLE ON YOURSELF
Winter naturally makes us more contemplative and less outgoing so don’t beat yourself up if you aren’t as sociable as usual, or if you don’t feel the urge to race around being the life and soul of the party. Chances are that you will be all partied-out after the celebrations anyway, so cut yourself some slack.
It may be cold outside but try to get out for some fresh air every day if you can. Notice small beauties – even when it’s grey and gloomy there are still wonders, such as the frost on a spider’s web and bright berries against evergreen leaves.
Take some time for yourself whenever you can – regard it as an opportunity to recoup and replenish your energy reserves.
Conserving your energy also means keeping yourself warm and snug – cosy up with extra blankets and throws, wear your favourite sweaters and heat-conserving hat and mittens on walks.
Keep your diet warm too – this is not the time for chilly salads and icy smoothies and it’s absolutely not the right time to diet or detox (truly, ignore the lure of the ‘New Year, New You’ diet headlines and wait for spring). Winter is the season for warming soups and stews, for spicy chai lattes and cheeky fondues – back in favour after decades of snooty neglect. John Lewis & Partners has a nice selection including a chunky cast iron set for £49 (johnlewis.com).
Conserving your energy also means keeping yourself warm and snug – cosy up with extra blankets and throws, and wear your favourite sweaters
MAKE DREAM LISTS, NOT RESOLUTIONS
We all know resolutions are prone to failure and, in any case, their puritanical focus on deprivation is dreary and depressing. Dump them and bring back the joyous bucket list instead. It needn’t be about wild far-flung adventures, rather let your mind swirl around simple pleasure and ways of introducing micro-delights into your life.
Play with vision boards, which possess a way of bypassing the critical mind and finding out what our subconscious really craves. Simply flick through magazines (or browse your Pinterest boards) and pluck out the images that hit your gut with that ‘that’s the one!’ instinct. Cut (or print) them out and stick to a large board or sheet of paper. Place them somewhere so they’re visible each day.
As you collate these ‘dream images’, you may find certain homerelated themes emerging, such as a particular design style or location. While a new home or a renovation project might not be on the cards immediately, this exercise will sow the seeds for future plans and ideas for upcoming months.
LOOK BACK – AND FORWARD
This has been a tough year. We’ve all been affected by the pandemic in varying ways and many of us will emerge from 2020 as different people.
It’s worth casting your mind back to the year that has passed. What did you feel before, during, and after lockdown? What did you learn about yourself and your relationship with others, and about your relationship with the wider world?
The new year is a natural time to think about what is really important in life, what is worth carrying forward into 2021, and what is best left behind. Many of us have had to rethink our relationships, our working lives and our homes. We’ve shed friends, shifted work patterns, and perhaps gained pets and new hobbies. We’ve come to realise what is important and what really doesn’t matter.
Many of us have discovered the joy of simplicity and that limiting choice can reduce stress. How can you expand on these benefits in the year to come? Are there still changes you still need to make?
MINDFULNESS AND MOVEMENT
Instead of starting the new year with a new gym routine, why not sign up for a mindful movement practice?
Slow restorative yin yoga is tailor-made for winter. Check out a local or virtual class (yinyoga.com has a directory) or just try the simplest feelgood pose of all – legs up the wall. Lie on a mat or blanket and wriggle your bottom up to the wall then swing your legs up. Use cushions to make yourself comfy and settle in for 15 minutes or more. Qigong is another practice that fits well within this quiet, contemplative season. It’s said to date back over 5,000 years and combines breathing techniques with mental concentration and precise movements and positions. The real beauty of qigong is that you don’t need any level of physical fitness to start – it’s exceptionally simple (yet don’t be deceived – it’s powerful). See qigonginstitute.org/ directory for a list of teachers.