Ahh February. For some of you, crocuses and daffodils are already peeking up. For others, your “cool season” of high temperatures in the 60’s is just about over. But for many of us, there are still piles of snow outside our windows that won’t be disappearing any time soon.
Most people know that February 2 is Groundhog’s Day. But did you know it is also another holiday, called Candlemas? It celebrates the turning of darkness to light — February 2 is exactly halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox.
Did you catch that? Winter is half over! (no matter what the groundhog says)
Yet while the days are getting longer little by little, February still seems like one of the longest months of the year (though technically it’s the shortest). The joy of Christmas and the first snowfall of the season are a distant memory. We’re sooo ready for a change. We decide we hate winter.
But I’d like to offer a different perspective.
What if we embraced this season for what it is — just a season? A chance to do some things we might not even think to do in the heat of summer? Let’s take note of our Scandinavian friends (who have much longer and colder and darker winters than we do in the States), and enjoy this time while we have it.
How? Here are a few ideas.
1) Indulge in winter foods
Do you crave soup and warm bread in July? Not usually. This is your chance for roasted vegetables, slow cooker roasts, pasta casseroles. Just because watermelon or fresh sweet corn is available at your grocery store in the middle of winter doesn’t mean it’s any good. I’ll write another post someday about eating seasonally, but for now think about how our ancestors did it. As the seasons change, so should our eating habits. Enjoy the flavors that are in season right now.
2) Create something
Maybe you already have a knitting or quilting or scrapbooking hobby. Maybe your creations take the form of cookies or bread from scratch. Maybe you have a desire to learn one of these things, or painting, woodworking, pottery, sewing, jewelry-making, or even just coloring in a book. It doesn’t have to be for the public eye, but accomplishing something creative with your hands is wonderfully satisfying.
3) Move your body
You don’t have to sign up for a gym membership (though I highly recommend it for certain personality types — like mine). Find something you enjoy and make an effort to practice it a few times a week. A walk or run, even on cold days. Pilates or yoga. Jumping jacks in the basement. There are countless free workout videos for all skill levels available on YouTube. Getting your body moving and your heart beating a little faster than usual even for 10 minutes can drastically improve your mood.
4) Get a plant
Not a fake one. Not a cut arrangement. An actual living thing in a pot. Yes it means you’ll have to remember to water it, but even if it dies in 3 months guess what? It will then be spring and there will be green outside to satisfy your eyes. And you’ll have had even a few weeks or months with a living thing bringing joy to your house. There are all kinds of options — potted bulbs (they can be planted outside come spring!), herb gardens (fresh basil in my spaghetti? yes please!), and the typical houseplant. Ask your friends if they have any plants that need splitting. That’s how I got my first peace lily (above), completely free.
5) Read aloud a chapter book with your family
In the summertime we like to be outside until the sun goes down, then we come inside and head right to bed. That doesn’t happen in the winter. Whether it’s nightly or weekly or just whenever you have a chance, get everyone in their pajamas and snuggle up with blankets on the couch or floor and read a chapter together. It’s a great way to transition our bodies from daytime to bedtime, when the amount of daylight isn’t helping.
6) Have a weekly movie night
We definitely watch more movies during the winter than the summer, and once again it’s okay because it’s for a season. When we plan ahead and know Saturday will be our popcorn-and-snacks-for-dinner night, we look forward to it. It’s a chance to be together and share a story together. And expose our kids to the wonders of Disney’s Robin Hood, Aladdin, Moana… 🙂
7) Listen to music
Pull out your old CD or vinyl stash, turn on the radio, make use of a streaming service like Spotify or Pandora. Don’t think too hard about what to listen to. Just crank up something. Create a playlist of songs that make you smile (mine is called Windows Down, because they make me want to roll down the windows in my car and blast the music, even in winter). The Greatest Showman soundtrack is my go-to when I really need a pick-me-up.
Let me end by acknowledging Seasonal Affective Disorder is a very real thing. Some people’s brain chemistry is much more affected by the amount of daylight and vitamin D they receive than others. It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor if you have any suspicions of needing a little more of a boost for your mood than what these ideas might provide.
But I hope that for all of us, these simple ideas will help us actually enjoy the season of coldness and darkness and not simply “survive” it.
You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.
–2 Samuel 22:29-30
Go to Florida!