leaning into the season: letting your body rest
The beginning of winter is often a time of increased activity and stress. We travel long distances for the holidays, stress over hosting or buying gifts, start New Year's resolutions, begin a new semester at school, and work on college or job applications. We continue to push ourselves outwards, trying to maintain the same level of busyness and productivity that we’re used to. Meanwhile, winter tries its best to keep us inside. It sends snowstorms, turns the roads to ice, and freezes our car doors shut when we wake up early to hit the gym before work. Giving in to winter’s demands completely is not an option for most of us, but here are a few small ways to invite the wisdom and pace of the season into your life:
Reflection
Many of us have the tendency to always look ahead, continually moving the goalpost without stopping to appreciate how we’ve grown and what we’ve accomplished. The new year invites a perfect opportunity to review where we have been, what we have done and how we have changed.
Suggested exercise: Sit down by yourself, with a loved one, or with your therapist and go back over your photos, calendar, or journal entries from the past year. Make a list of all the highlights: new experiences you had, peak moments, accomplishments, things you learned, challenges you overcame, and ways you have grown or changed. When you’re done, take a moment to sit back and take it all in - enjoy the abundance of all you have harvested this year!
Rest
By the end of the year, many of us are experiencing or approaching burnout. Give your body and mind a chance to slow down, recharge, and process everything that you have been through over the past few months or year. Your body and brain have done so much for you this year! Instead of seeing your body as a wild animal that needs to be tamed or disciplined, try to think of it as a dear friend and work with it instead of against it.
Suggestions for rest:
Take a nap: If you have time, let yourself take a nap during the day. This may seem like a simple suggestion, but a 2019 study found that people who nap at least once a week have a significantly lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease (Häusler et al., 2019).
Learn to say no: Many of us, especially women, have a tendency to people-please and overcommit ourselves. Take care of yourself by saying no to plans or responsibilities beyond what you need to do or have space for.
Embodiment practice: Find a practice that helps you tune into your body and self-regulate. This could be a gentle movement practice like yoga, or a more vigorous one like dancing or shaking. It could also be a practice like mindful eating or a body-scan meditation that helps you slow down and listen to your body.
Sources:
Häusler, N., Haba-Rubio, J., Heinzer, R., & Marques-Vidal, P. (2019). Association of Napping with incident cardiovascular events in a prospective cohort study. Heart, 105(23), 1793–1798. https://doi.org/10.1136/heartjnl-2019-314999