The Winter Series: Be Here Now
A reflection exercise to help with a midwinter self check
Welcome to the “Winter Series,” a series focusing on simple exercises and activities to help us process winter’s challenges, so that we can get through the season with appreciation for what it offers.
These posts come out earlier each week and include downloadable material for the week ahead. Most “Winter Series” posts and downloadable materials are for paid subscribers.
A Winter Midpoint Check-In
Last Friday, February 2 (also known as Groundhogs Day) marked the exact halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Officially, we have less than six weeks until spring officially begins.
Depending on where you live and what your weather is like, you may either be seeing the first signs of spring outdoors already, or might still have several weeks of winter-like cold and dormancy.
No matter what, winter’s official midpoint is a good time to check in with ourselves and how we are feeling right now.
Learning to be in the present is an important way for us to connect with what we are experiencing and feeling (including any anxiety, uncertainty, or impatience for spring), and find meaning in these experiences.
Sometimes this means just taking a few deep breaths, going for a walk in our neighborhood to take note of the experiences, taking some quiet morning time to journal, or stopping to recognize the simple or small things that bring us joy.
Finding and Celebrating Moments of Joy
At any given moment, there is so much beauty in the world around us, yet we are too often stuck in our routines of work, responsibilities, and distractions to notice it.
This can be magnified in the winter months as many of us actively try to avoid cold temperatures or poor weather by hunkering down indoors.
I myself am guilty of spending too many hours on entertainment apps or social media whenever cold weather sets in. Suddenly, I’ll realize I’ve missed out on the subtle beauty of the stillness of winter.
To break this pattern, it’s good to take moment each day to recognize at least one thing that is bringing us joy. Perhaps its the break in the clouds, or the soft sounds of rain on our windows. Perhaps its the patterns of frost on a sidewalk. Or maybe on a walk, we notice the beginnings of the buds growing on a tree.