Do you try and do the same things for your wellbeing whether summer or winter?
The same workout, the same meals, the same skin care?
And do you tend to feel a little bit less yourself in the darker and colder months?
I think it can be useful to consider how our key pillars of wellbeing (sleep, nourishment, movement and rest) could change to reflect the seasons.
Is it time to change with the seasons?
We all have our habits and ways of doing things.
But we also have changing seasons, both externally and internally. Our bodies may well respond to the colder months by conserving energy, slowing down and craving foods to help us store energy for the lean months of the new year.
Normal life doesn’t tend to slow down very much, but over the years I’ve made adjustments to life to ensure that I do.
I don’t do as much in the winter months. In that I’m less social, less inclined to travel.
But I do love to nourish myself with learning, reading, and dusting off my art and craft materials. Cosying up and nourishing my soul.
I should add that I have no particular talent for arts and crafts, I just really enjoy the kind of brain and body relaxation and presence it brings me. Occasionally a lucky family member may get a crochet blanket or knitted scarf for Christmas though!
I think our pleasure and joy can be found in different places in the Autumn and Winter as well as our wellbeing.
Here are a few key tips to keep in mind as the nights draw in and the temperature begins to drop.
Sleep
Nights are longer and the evenings get dark very early. But sometimes this can actually lead us to struggle with sleep - we might watch more tv and expose ourselves to more blue light in the evenings, which can interfere with our body’s natural signals for sleep.
It can be good to give yourself a ‘bedtime’ in the winter, and to find pre-sleep activities that don’t involve screens - reading, journaling, catching up with friends on the phone rather than text. Keep the lighting low. I love the cosiness of table lamps and fairy lights in the winter.
Another key tip for the winter is to make sure you get some daylight every day, as early in the day as you can. Standing out in the garden with my cup of tea and blanket around me is one of my favourite ways to start the day. This helps set our circadian rhythm for the day and can even help with sleep in the evening too.
Nourishment
You might find yourself with more of a sweet tooth in the winter. It’s natural, our bodies want to store energy and the most abundant source of energy is usually the sweetest.
So, consider how you indulge your sweet tooth - dried fruit and nuts with dark chocolate chips can help to sate your desire for sweetness but with added nutrition too.
Slow cooking and soups are one of the best things about this time of year. I’ll usually make a couple of soups at the weekend so that I’ve got leftovers for my weekday lunches.
And the slow cooker is great for prepping tasty meals for minimal effort especially between the kids clubs and sports.
Soups and casseroles are a great way to pack vegetables into our diets too - delivering nutrients and fibre to support our gut health and our immune systems.
When it’s cooler it can sometimes be easy to forget to drink water - so keep a bottle or glass next to you during the day. Hot water with lemon or herbal teas can help keep you hydrated if you find cold water hard to drink in the winter.
Movement
I know many of us can end up dropping exercise from our schedules in the winter months - because the weather or exhaustion or coughs and colds get to us.
What I would say here is that you might need to change what you do, but please don’t stop moving your bodies - they need it in the winter as much as in the summer. It helps you manage stress, supports your immune system and helps you sleep better.
You might find you need to experiment with the time of day, the pace of exercise or the kind of exercise you do.
For example, I love outdoor swimming, but my swims are very short in the cold weather, so instead I’ll go for a brisk walk with my swim buddies before I get in the water in the winter. I’m struggling with my achille’s tendon so I’ve had to drop running for a while, but I’ll continue with my own 20 minute strength training workouts, although I may well have to bring them inside. I’m also going to add more pilates and yoga into my routine to improve my core strength and flexibility and find a mix of restorative and more challenging classes to support both my strength and my nervous system.
Rest and stress management
In the Autumn and Winter it can feel like nature around us is completely dormant. Not growing, not blossoming.
But underneath the ground, unseen, plants are allowing their roots to grow. Seeds are getting themselves ready for the spring.
I think it can help us to consider where we want to nourish our own roots in the cooler seasons. To work out where we want to blossom next year and how we might need to cerate the space and support to do so.
But rest is essential in order to blossom.
Quiet nights in, quality sleep, meditation, gentle walks, breath work. All of these can help us prepare for success next year.
So add in some rest. Allow the slow Sundays or quiet evenings to just be.