For many people, winter is a rest time of year. Winter may be a depressing season because of the cold, the gloomy days of rain or snow, the lack of light, the colds and flu, and being coop up inside.
What if you could start to embrace winter and perhaps even come to love it with a few simple changes to your environment, routines, and outlook?
We can learn a lot about appreciating winter from cultures that deal with long, dark winters. Hygge, which is Danish for “cosy and soothing,” has recently gained popularity as a catchphrase. Although the word is difficult to translate exactly, it connotes comfort, happiness, and wellbeing. a conviction that life is good and supposed to be fun. Zopiclone 10 mg provides the best sleep and relaxation
Danes consistently rank first in happiness surveys.Hygge covers their days like a cosy blanket, which is one reason. They now know how to embrace winter by making it a cosy season of warmth, camaraderie, and pleasure. We could learn from them and emulate what they do.
The concept of accepting winter begins with allowing winter to embrace us.We frequently dwell on the depressing elements of winter and long for the return of summer, the season of vivacity and activity.
People frequently claim that everything is “dead” during the winter, yet the naked trees and shrubs are actually doing what we should all be doing. They are turning their attention inward rather than outward. All of their energy is being direct back into the warm, deep soil’s dark recesses, where the roots can heal and regenerate for yet another season of fruitfulness.
When it comes to accepting winter, the trees and the Danes can both teach us a lot. Here are some suggestions for making the upcoming winter a season of relaxation, restoration, and revitalization. If you engage in a handful of these activities this winter, you’ll feel revitalised and prepared for the higher activity and productivity of the warmer months.
Make your nest ready.
Light:
The shorter daylight hours are one of the most difficult aspects of winter for many people, including me. It may be difficult to get through the winter months if you have SAD (Seasonal Affect Disorder, a type of seasonal sadness).
Brightening up your surroundings can significantly help to cure this ailment. Even if you don’t have SAD but do have the milder version of the “winter blues,” exposure to light can still elevate your mood and give you more energy.
I prefer to add more lamps and candles to my rooms around this time of year to increase the lighting.
Visit your neighbourhood thrift or resale shop if you need to buy a few extra lamps. Small lamps can be position atop an armoire, cabinet, or bookcase. The sensation of natural light in your space is increase by turning the lamp up high.
Candles are a beautiful way to give any place a subtle glow. Just be mindful of safety concerns and keep them out of reach of children or pets. The added simplicity of an automatic timer makes battery-operated candles a terrific alternative.
Also keep in mind that candles with strong scents may contain irritants like chemicals and fragrances that can cause headaches or respiratory problems. Try beeswax candles instead; they’re beautiful, have a light honey scent, burn evenly, and are better for the environment. If you are sensitive, unscented candles are a close second.
In the winter, a light therapy lamp might be a welcome addition to your routine if you are truly suffering from the lack of light.
Light therapy lamps, according to Bestreviews.com, “alter the brain chemicals associated with mood and sleep and can lessen symptoms of seasonal depression.”
Warmth:
There are other steps to warming up your rooms in addition to raising the thermostat. You don’t have to go shopping to create the warm, inviting atmosphere seen on magazine covers.
Most likely, your cupboards and closets contain all you require.
All of those throw blankets should be removed and place in a convenient location. Warmth emanates from a stack of blankets in a basket.
Put your favourite cups on a tray and set them where you can see them to be reminded to make a hot beverage to enjoy while curled up in a warm blanket.
If you have a fireplace, put a basket on the hearth and fill it with pine cones.
Keep a spare copy of your favourite sweater on hand in case the house gets chilly.
Comfort:
Move your furniture around to create conversation areas. Make it comfortable so that people can talk instead of staring at the television.
Bring a rocker nearer the fire. Make a floor bed of large pillows for additional seating. Make your room’s hearth the centre of attention.
Bring a nice chair, a small table, and a lamp into your spacious kitchen to set up a relaxing seating area so that someone can keep you company while you cook. In a prior home where I did this, it turned out to be the place where everyone wanted to be.
Your home is here. Do not feel obligated to maintain the status quo. Change it up if you think a different layout will be more comfortable for this season, when you’ll be spending more time indoors.
Music:
Without a variety of calming music for relaxation and upbeat music to enhance my energy, I wouldn’t consider my house winter-ready. Set the mood for this period of cosiness by tuning into appropriate winter music on Pandora. Or, go old school with your “comfort music” and dig out your vinyl or CD collection.
Spend some time outside:
You are not entitled to spen the entire winter season inside, bundled up in a blanket. Fresh air and daylight are essential for winter to be a season of rebirth.
Nothing is more romantic than going for a walk while it is snowing. A rarely-occurring silence and stillness are produce by snowfall. Your sense of connectedness to the natural world can be restore by spending time outside.
On bright, sunny days, dress warmly if necessary, but get outside and go for a quick walk so that the sun can shine into your eyes and lift your spirits. Bask while sitting in the sunshine. Inhale the clean air.
Even on chilly mornings, I begin my day outside. I get ready, bring a few blankets, and find a spot to welcome the morning, usually on my deck or front porch. For our sense of wellbeing during the winter, maintaining a connection to nature is crucial.