By Heather Caldwell, LPCC
We have four seasonal markers each year: Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Fall Equinox, and Winter Solstice. These seasonal markers have long traditions that range from the logistical (preparing food, herd migration, and farming for the season ahead) to spiritual (celebration of coming light, birthing season, abundant harvest). Regardless of how you think of these seasonal markers of change - or if you think of them at all - they influenced our ancestors greatly and they are a wonderful time for us to explore our own lives.
Winter Solstice
December 21st marks the Winter Solstice. Unlike Summer Solstice in June, when folks celebrate the longest day of the year and the lazy days of summer, Winter Solstice is during the height of winter season weather. It is the shortest day of the year and indicates we are midway through the cold dark season.
Winter Solstice is cold. It’s gray. It’s stillness. During these winter months, we often find ourselves spending more time indoors, slowing down, pondering the final days of the calendar year. We often find ourselves reflecting on what happened over the year, and wondering where the time went. We can feel isolated and alone, especially with the overlapping holiday season.
Of the four seasons, where spring is birth, summer is growth, and fall is harvest - Winter Solstice represents death.
But winter is also filled with subtle beauty. Birds migrate, bears hibernate, and foliage goes dormant. The landscape goes from the fiery autumn colors of reds, oranges, and yellows to muted browns, grays, and whites. The cacophony of birds chirping and honking in the summer become quieter. The busy hustle and bustle often falls to a dull roar, with snuggly mornings under warm comforters and cozy evenings with oven-baked meals. Snow may brighten the night’s darkness, reveal small footprints of all the unnoticed life lurking below the surface, and absorb the background noise allowing our ears to hear more of the unspoken whispers floating in the cold breeze.
Historically, many communities celebrate this day as the return to the light. It is a celebration of the grit it takes to get through winter. It is a celebration of what has passed. It is a meditation on what is to come.
Starting December 22nd the days start to slowly get longer, and spring can be seen on the horizon. The sun starts to rise higher in the sky and we might start to think of the future. Before we can do that though, we must prepare to step fully into the darkness of winter, go inward, and reflect.
Winter Solstice and You
Winter is a time of stillness, a time of quiet, a time of hibernation. Bringing intention and attention to the subtle and not-so-subtle season shifts can allow us to also bring intention and attention to our own shifts.
Prompts for Reflection on the Past and a Look to the Future
Reflection on the past: What shifts have happened in your life over the last 12 months? Which ones did you choose? Which ones did you feel were chosen for you? How have these changes impacted your life? Make a list of the positives and the challenges of each change. What did you learn? Where were/are your growing edges? How have these changes strengthened your resilience? How have they allowed you to soften? How have they moved you forward?
What are some positives that have happened during the past 12 months or things that brought you joy? These could be big or small things - like I saw an amazing double rainbow, I baked my first sourdough loaf, I got to wear comfy clothes to work almost every day because I now telecommute. How could you support experiencing more moments of joy or noticing positive events in your life?
Reflection on the now: What changes do you still need to or want to make? What are the internal shifts and the external shifts? An internal shift could be, I want to expand my capacity to receive and view myself as worthy of receiving. A parallel external shift could be, I want to reach out to my friends and ask for support. Note the changes you want, the ones you feel you should do, or the ones someone wants for you? What will these changes provide you? Make a list of how these will serve you or get you closer to living your best life? Cross out any change that is not bringing you closer to living your best life or in alignment with your highest good.
Reflection on the future: What do you need to fulfill these shifts? What are small ways in which you can ask for and receive support? What are small goals that would help you get there? How would you know when you successfully made these shifts? Do you have a timeline for the shifts and if so, is it realistic? What can you do along the way to help support your progress towards these new ways of being? What roadblocks might you find along the way? What could you do or put in place to help you should a roadblock come up? Who can you solicit for support and accountability?
Winter Rituals and Practices
One way many folks celebrate the winter season is through holiday celebrations: faith-based holidays such as Hanukkah, Christmas, or Kwanza & through spiritual-based holidays such as YuleTide. If you don’t celebrate these holidays, you can celebrate the winter season. Here are a few ways to bring the beauty and peace of winter into your life.
Go for a winter walk and take in the peace, quiet, and muted landscape. See if you can find the subtle signs of life.
Create winter art and bring it indoors. One of my favorite winter decorations is to string cotton balls on string or floss and hang them from the ceiling. Or make Pinecone Snowy Owls, or another easy and fun project that you can use to decorate your living space.
Bring in the light. To honor the shift into the light, string some lights up in your living space and allow the twinkle to brighten the dark evenings.
Create a cozy ritual, such as an evening hot cocoa, a soft cozy blanket, and some relaxing music.
Set up a Zoom brunch or dinner with friends and/or family.
Set up a game night with friends. Apps like Houseparty are free, have video access, and games at the ready.
Experiment with cooking or baking. Winter is a great time to use the oven. Find some lovely and nourishing casserole dishes, sweet treats, or savory loaves.
Winter, Depression, and Mental Health Support
Winter can be hard for many folks. The darkness + the cold + more time indoors + the holiday seasons = ripe territory for depression and an increase in substance use. Take an inventory of how you’re doing and if there have been any changes in the past few months. Some depression comes on suddenly while others, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder, can creep up on you slowly blanketing you in dullness and malaise. Are you drinking more alcohol, smoking more marijuana, or taking more OTC medicine? Are you having trouble sleeping, staying asleep, or sleeping too much? Has there been a change to your appetite? Are you feeling alone or isolated, noticing yourself pulling away from loved ones?
If you’re experiencing any of these, please contact Evolve in Nature to set up an appointment. You are not alone and the therapists at Evolve in Nature are here to support your mental health through the winter season and beyond.
From all of us to all of you, happy winter season!