Preparing for Winter
I’ve had several conversations lately where people told me they felt like they were doing better.
“This spring was, like, really bad, but I’m feeling like I can cope a bit more, now.”
Partly, our bodies have moved past the “IMMINENT DANGER” stress response. At first, we were so pumped full of stress hormones that it seemed impossible to focus. I couldn’t think about anything beyond getting through the day, much less dealing with any long-term challenges. Every day we were bombarded with new information and fears. Should I be disinfecting my groceries? Quarantining my Amazon boxes? What’s more dangerous, an elevator or a doorknob? Do masks work?
We know more than we did back in April. We’ve sketched out the boundaries of what we’re comfortable with--how we’re going to move through the world. Some of us have gone back to work or school. We have a favorite face mask, now.
Is this what they meant by “the new normal?”
But then I remember: winter is coming.
So many of the strategies I’ve employed to maintain my mental health throughout this pandemic have been nice-weather-dependent. Long walks every morning. Socially-distant yard meet-ups with friends. Even something as small as the mindful attention I pay to the flowers now feels fraught.
Winter is already a hard time for a lot of people who suffer from Seasonal Affect Disorder. And now the CDC is warning that this winter might be really dangerous, with spikes in both flu and COVID cases as people retreat indoors.
We’ve heard the health recommendations a million times: wear a mask, wash your hands, stay six feet away from others. But what can we do to promote good mental health as winter approaches?
START WITH THE BODY: GET YOUR GEAR IN ORDER
Ask anyone who knows me, and they’ll tell you I’m more of an “indoor cat.” But the time I spent inside in the early months of the pandemic was not good for my mental health, so I am trying to find a way to commit to getting out of my house, even when it gets cold. I tend to forget, when I’m in the middle of a stress response, that my mind and body don’t operate independently. My lungs need fresh air and my legs need to move if my brain is going to be able to tackle the challenges of this year.
Make plans now for how you can continue to get your body outside this winter, especially since outdoors will still be the safest place to meet up with others.
If you’re into winter sports, you’re in luck. So much of the gear required is perfect for These Trying Times ™. Skiing calls for a mask, goggles, and gloves, and it’s basically required that you stay six feet away from other people unless you want to crash. If we end up getting snow here this year, sledding and snowshoeing are other options that are about as safe as your summertime hikes.
For those of us who are less athletic (raises hand), it’s going to be the winter of the firepit. If you have outdoor space, you may want to look for a patio space heater now.
When it comes to the body, we also need to have a shift in our thinking about winter clothes. Washington, DC wintertime, for me at least, has always involved moving from one warm, indoor space to the next, with maybe a 12-minute walk to and from the Metro. But this year, it’s less about dressing for the destination, with the assumption of ditching the puffer coat upon arrival. Instead, we need to “dress to loiter.”
Preparation is a form of self care. Think of the things that helped you survive the spring. Sourdough starter? Knitting needles? Gardening supplies? For me, this winter, self care just might be all about waterproof boots.
THINK LIKE THE SCANDINAVIANS
Which brings me to our friends the Scandinavians. The source of the adage “there’s no bad weather, just bad clothing,” seems impossible to trace, but there’s no doubt it’s a cornerstone to living in perpetually cold climates.
Another Scandinavian import is the concept of “friluftsliv”: (pronounced free-loofts-liv), which translates to “open-air living,” and is used to describe the value of spending time outdoors, no matter the weather. The Norwegians, Swedes, and Danes seem to have culturally accepted that the benefits outweigh the pain of being cold. They believe being outdoors in the cold weather is invigorating; fresh air is good for you; and being in nature can re-set you physically and spiritually.
Having grown up in the south, I am willing to accept that I might have a bad attitude about cold weather. A perspective shift may be in order.
PREPARE FOR DIFFERENT FEELINGS
While I’m not sure I buy all of his essay’s points about mindset, I really like the part of Jason Kottke’s “The Secret to Enjoying a Long Winter” where he says, “I just wasn’t going to feel like I felt in the summer and that’s ok — winter is a time for different feelings.”
Or, as artist and writer Morgan Harper Nichols is always pushing, “Let October be October.” October is not July. It is not backyard barbecues and your quarantine garden and kids catching lightning bugs and the smell of the ocean. Pay attention to your shifting capacity as the days grow shorter and darker, and know that it’s okay if you don’t feel as good as you did in the summertime. You are paying attention. You are taking care of yourself. Don’t hold yourself to summertime standards of happiness when the weather is gloomy.
It may help to have a wintertime mantra, of sorts. In his essay, Kottke mentions productivity writer Nicholas Bate’s seven fall basics: “more sleep, more reading, more hiking, more reflection, more soup, more movies, and more night sky.”
Try to hone in on the good things you, personally, want more of for winter. By making a list of “more,” it may help you redirect from all of the things you’re getting “less” of than in summer. Try to think beyond the holiday season. (Winter is easy in December. It’s February that starts to hurt.)
More patience. More self care. More cocoa. More flannel. More casserole. More slow mornings. More twinkle lights. More drawing and writing. More...pompom hats.
It’s a start.
Above all, it helps me to remember that unlike the pandemic, with its uncertain ending, spring will return. In six months, it will be April again. We will, perhaps, be even more hardened by the state of the world. But if we can take care of ourselves through this winter, we can fill our days with more than just waiting. We can put in an effort to live well, even through a pandemic, even in the cold.
