A Slower Season & Staying Happy In Winter

Over the past couple of months, I've been contemplating the prospect of having a slow winter. At the start of the new year we all start ploughing through our list of resolutions, but honestly, I feel like this is the worst time to do so. Who can honestly say that they feel at their finest to put their all into something new during the depths of Winter? Everyone advocates hustle and but it's rare to hear people support slowing down for a little bit. So today I wanted to talk about having a slow season and build up your motivation to tackle your resolutions in the best way that you can and, of course, staying happy in Winter.

WHAT DO YOU WANT THIS SEASON TO BE?

For me, this season will be one of rest. Of course, I will still be working but I won't be committing to long hours with very little time to myself. I want to get into positive work habits that mean that I get the most out of my work day and feel truly fulfilled [read more on that here]. A part of me almost feels slightly embarrassed for admitting I want to slow down, society and the internet have almost ingrained it into my mind that I need to be hustling 24/7. Slowing down doesn't mean you've got an easy life or you're lazy, which is often what I think it can be viewed as. When I wrote my plan of resolutions [see them here] I also wrote a plan of what I wanted the year to look like, it's not something that you need to share but writing things down can often give you more clarity.

WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT SEASONS IN OUR LIFE

This is an invaluable lesson that I learnt from a Jess Lively podcast. It sounds like such an obvious thing because we all know that we don't go at the same pace in life. Maybe this is your season of hustle and making big things happen or maybe it's your season for taking things slowly. Having one season at a different pace doesn't dictate how the others may play out.

THE WOES OF WINTER

Even though I'm a homebody, I don't enjoy winter, at all. It makes me feel trapped and confined to my four walls and the thought of going outside into ice cold temperatures fills me with dread. As well as the below zero temperatures the lack of light is something that I think we struggle with. Getting up in the dark and only seeing daylight for only a matter of hours can be tough on our mood. When it's so dull and drab outside, it's hard to feel productive and like you want to conquer a giant list of resolutions. Even though so many of us probably feel the same way it can be tough to admit that you do, but it's important to remember that you're never alone.

STAYING HAPPY

These are the months in particular that I need to do a few extra things to cheer myself up. Here are some of my favourite ways to do so;

Bundle myself and Bella up and go out for a walk in the woods.
Spend time with my loved ones.
Re-watch my favourite tv shows.
Start making plan of things I want to do when the weather brightens up a little.
Read.
Make duvet forts on the sofa.
Light my favourite candles.

THERE IS NOTHING SHAMEFUL ABOUT A SLOW SEASON

Something I see time and time again is people questioning why you might want to take things slower? But, do you really need a reason other than you want to? No, I don't think so. Judging the choices that other people make when they have no impact on your own life isn't going to make you any happier. So why not support that person instead? It takes courage to say that you want to take things a little differently but it should never be looked down upon.

What are your thoughts on having a slower season?

R x

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