The weather has taken a definite turn for the chillier this last week, with lots more rain too.  The winder coat has been washed and re-waterproofed.  The jumpers have been brought out.  The heater has even been on a couple of times in the office to take the chill off.

Some people can really struggle during winter.  Some suffer from Seasonal Adjustment Disorder (SAD), others worry about the increased isolation during cold, dark winter nights, less likely to go out in the evening and missing out of social interactions. 

A questionnaire in Psychologies Magazine looked into who we could create a winter of content and what we need to feel our best during this time.  My responses were resulted predominantly into a need for stimulation:

“It’s natural to shift your routine with the changing season, and that might mean feeling as if you want to hunker down indoors, snuggle up and do less.  But it’s one thing to response to a gut instinct and another to find yourself putting your life on hold until spring returns.

There is a lot of appeal in takin a break from challenge and uncertainty for a while, especially if you’re feeling somewhat vulnerable, or if dark days have had an impact on your mood and energy levels – but retreating to your comfort zone and drifting along in a ‘holding pattern’ can be particularly undermining for those how thrive on new experiences.

If you know that you get a mood and energy boost by feeling stretched in some way, don’t wait for the new year to set fresh goals for yourself, or to take some time to think about what projects or new direction would inspire your professional and personal life.  That means creating opportunities to expand your social life and tap into that vital energy that you experience from new ideas, people and places.  It may mean branching out on your own if others don’t get your need for ‘new’.

Take some time to visualise the first day of spring and think about how you want to feel when it arrives. Then consider: what can I put in place now to make that happen for myself?  Now take a step towards making it possible.”

I have some romantic notion of snuggling up on the sofa under a blanket with a hot chocolate, watching cute black and white seasonal films.  Reality is, I don’t have time for that and if I snuggled under a blanket, I’d probably fall asleep before the opening credits of the film had finished.

In #bellringing terms things actually pick up more during this time of year.  We have Remembrance ringing in November, then throughout December there are various carol services to ring for as well as Christmas Day ringing.

We usually get to visit members of the family who live farther away, and that usually involves an overnight stay, a trip to a park, house or event that provides the something new and exciting.  Although I don’t necessarily enjoy Christmas Day itself (over eating, pressure to be entertaining or entertained and so on) I do like the preparation for Christmas.  Every year I have a grand plan to decorate, to wrap gifts whilst listening to Christmas tunes or watching Christmas films.  I see all these delicious looking recipes that every year I promise I’ll get around to making, then not actually make any of them.  I have notion that Christmas will be exactly like that chocolate box cover, that screenplay of romance and family togetherness. It never quite works out like that does it?

I don’t believe in New Year resolutions. Why only have a goal or ambition at one time of the year?  I always try to make the best of opportunities that come my way, or work to create those opportunities.  Some of these have come to fruition recently, so getting through this winter time will be interesting and challenging (in a good way).

How would you create a winter of content for yourself and what do you need to feel your best during this time?