Homebuilders – Managing winter’s hibernation instincts

“Spring, summer and fall fill us with hope; winter alone reminds us of the human condition.” Mignon McLaughlin

Wintertime can present us with many unique joys and challenges. Many are of a practical nature such as staying warm, staying well, having warm clean clothes, enough food, or even cleaning muddy footprints.

Some are more emotional, social and spiritual. Cold, wet weather perhaps leads us to a desire to stay indoors and be less social, a hibernation of sorts. When life changes for us, it can feel like life just got harder, and we need to be able to adapt to ensure the wellbeing of ourselves and others.

Managing our own changing needs and helping to meet the changing needs of others can make us grumpy, irritable or generally feeling low or negative. Similarly, spending too much time alone can lead to loneliness, depression and sadness. The good news is that these are all normal feelings and responses to changes. They are as predictable as winter is when we are aware of them. Learning to be aware takes practice, it isn’t a skill that we are born with typically. This practice is commonly called mindfulness.

There is a lot of talk about mindfulness, and while it may sound ‘mystical’, it is really being aware of our emotions, feelings and body, in a gentle observation of ourselves. It is more ‘sensing’ than ‘thinking’ and doesn’t require analytics or action, just gentle observation, focusing on one thing at a time and trying not to be distracted by chasing thoughts.

A great way to try this is in nature, in a garden or one of Rodney’s unique and beautiful green spaces.

For example, choose a leaf or flower, a shell or waves at the beach. Look closely and describe it, be as creative or dramatic as you like, the more detailed the better. If you find your mind wandering off into thoughts, gently bring it back, don’t chastise yourself, just bring your mind back to the observation. It is perfectly normal for our minds to wander off into thoughts, and like learning anything new, it takes time, practice and patience. It may even feel a bit ridiculous, so have fun with it, keep trying. With practice, you will notice there is a calmness in being completely focused on one thing. The exact same process can be used to observe and describe ourselves, which in time helps us to relax, regulate our emotions, to tolerate stresses and maintain good relationships.

For those wishing to explore the benefits of mindfulness in a guided practice, Homebuilders runs free courses with childcare available on request. Details here: https://www.homebuildersfs.org/