Winter’s back – and so it’s time to return to my series of seasonal blogs and look at how to beat the winter blues.  Each time I revisit these blogs, I gain a more nuanced understanding, and my toolkit for flourishing improves.  And so, I hope you don’t mind the occasional repetition and that you too can embrace sitting with the familiar to gain a deeper resonance. 

And that, my friends, is really key to this time of year.  This isn’t the time for the power of spring or the fabulous fripperies of summer, or the riches of late summer and the release of autumn.  This is the time to park the obsession with the new, the bright, the fast and the shiny.  And instead to take our time and go deep, to really sit with stuff, gain wisdom and deal with what truly matters.   

A little scary perhaps yes, but wow, it’s where the good stuff lies! 

Tapping into Winter’s Treasures

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Winter is the season of ultimate yin – cold, dark, hidden, internal.  And I get for many of us, it can be a difficult time.  But with a few simple tweaks and an awareness of the treasures this season can give, we really can beat the winter blues.  

Winter’s all about pausing, retreating, looking inward and tuning into what makes us, us.  It’s where we can notice, reflect, accept, and challenge, all with gentle compassion. It’s in the depths that the real jewels lie, and we can miss these precious gifts if we’re always too busy, too distracted; too fearful to look.  

Winter is the time to face our fears, quieten the noise and dig deep to find the essence of what’s important. To access that inner wisdom and discover purpose.  And use its time and energy to resolve, repair and regroup – giving us the potential to spring forward soon. 

And so, here’s a few tips on how to beat the winter blues

  • Put the health foundations in place
    Supplement Vitamin D and get plenty of fresh air, movement and nourishing cooked foods.

  • Let in the light!
    Experiment with supplementing your light levels. I swear by my Lumie wake up light and SAD light for keeping my circadian rhythm on track. And get out into natural daylight whenever you can.

  • Take some time
    Try to build more breathing space into your day and pull back from rush and busy. Aim to give yourself time to rest, time to think, time to understand, time to be.

  • Dig deep and reflect
    How are things? What’s working; what isn’t? What do you long for? What’s holding you back? What are you grateful for? Journalling can be a great tool for this process.

  • Practice self-acceptance
    Know yourself, understand yourself, accept yourself, all without judgement. Compassion is key: practice makes perfect – at accepting imperfect! If it’s uncomfortable, pause, breath and notice, again without reprimand.

  • Bring in the joy
    Winter is a great time for simple pleasures. And to flood your life with things that lift the heart and give inspiration during the short, dark days.

  • Resolve, repair and regroup
    This is an ideal opportunity to heal. To sit with the tough stuff and find resolution or acceptance. And to give yourself heaps of TLC to sustain and regroup.  Being in synch with the yin energy of winter gives the resources for the next surge forward.

  • Feed the fire
    Even during this “internal” time, we still need the warmth and love of strong, meaningful connections. Make the effort to emerge and connect regularly to keep the fires burning.

This is how you can make winter work – and beat the winter blues. 

But I appreciate this isn’t always easy to do, particularly if you’re already starting to feel winter’s gloom.  Do reach out if you need some help.  I’m passionate about helping people ditch the doubt, embrace who they really are and take their place. And now’s the perfect time to put the foundations in place for 2023.