How To Gently Embrace A Slower Pace This Winter

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but sometimes it feels like there is so much to complete by 31st December. Everything is urgent at work, the to-do lists are endless, preparing for the season becomes overwhelming. Sometimes, the end of the year reminds us of all the goals and accomplishments that we did not achieve. That can leave us feeling disappointed. We may feel like it’s best to rush and tick off those imaginary boxes. Then we can sigh and say that we’ve done it. What happens if we choose to pause the busyness of the season? By giving ourselves the permission to stop and breathe? What if we decided to slow down and embrace the pace of winter like our surrounding environment?

Winter Season

Winter is not only a season for family filled holidays. It is also a season for us to reflect, restore and regroup. Animals and living things around us hibernate for the season to prepare themselves for what is to come. We too can use this season to reenergise ourselves for spring. We too can use winter to prepare ourselves for growth and rest without guilt.

It may not be easy. Maybe this has been a difficult year for you, like it has for me. Maybe you have lost a loved one, lost job security or a loss of dream due to certain circumstances. Or perhaps, you thought your life might look different a year ago but you are not there yet. Maybe you are in a season of preparation and want to continue building the momentum to not lose steam. Wherever you are in this season of life, it’s okay to slow down. I didn’t say that it was okay to stop (because I’m not that type of person either), but it’s alright to slow down. You can still slow down, build the momentum and reenergise yourself for what is to come.

Embrace A Pace of Winter

With less daylight and more hours in the dark, you want to fall asleep much earlier in the evenings. Winter encourages us to sleep earlier and longer. I know for a fact that this is something that I have been fighting against for the last couple of months. Maximising my time after my 9 to 5 is something I love to do. In addition, I’m in the process of finishing a project that I’ve been working on for the last three years. Due to the pace of winter, I’ve been falling asleep earlier which means less time on the project. The most important thing is to do the best that I can and complete it in the new year.

Embracing the pace of winter gives you the mental clarity to clear the constant chatter, unplug and reconnect with your creativity. Whether that is truly pursuing something that brings you joy, learning something new or doing something simple.

Embrace The Short Days With Mindfulness

With a season filled with so many celebrations from Thanksgiving all the way down to Valentine’s Day, it’s easy to feel drained or overwhelmed. To not let this season get past you like a whirlwind, choose one task or two a day that allows you to slow down and be present in the moment. Whether that is creating a new routine, building a new habit or pushing yourself to go outside for a winter walk. There are so many ways that you can embrace these short days with mindfulness and do something for you.

Live With Intention

Not every day is going to be a great day. Some days are going to be harder than others and that’s okay. Living with intention and appreciating the subtle details of life is another way to embrace this season. Read a book, smell a candle or drink a cup of tea. Create those pockets of joy and moments of self-care to light you up. These next few months are going to be filled with dark days and that can weigh on your mental health. By focusing on your well-being with small and impactful practices is going to help you embrace this current season with intention. Take up journalling to write down what you are grateful for that day. Try to use this time to regularly check in with yourself. Give yourself a goal to stay focused on you and disconnect from distractions.

Embrace A Winter Fitness Routine

I’ve always declared winter as ‘character-building season’ ever since I started my fitness journey. It takes a lot of courage to pull yourself out of your home in the middle of winter and train. Moreover, it takes more discipline to do that every day for three months to four months. I think what makes winter the best season for most people. It’s your choice to make the decision how you want to embrace it. Whether it is going to be a chapter of growth, reflection or an opportunity to embrace your current season. The decision is up to you.

I started my journey in the winter. Every winter I like to use this chapter to align myself with my wellness goals and build my character. If you have been feeling a little lost this season, this character-building challenge might the thing you are looking for. Choose what you want to do for fitness. A strength sport like a powerlifting? Or a skills based goal like calisthenics? Ask yourself, what is your purpose this winter? How are you willing to make the most out of this season?

Prepare For New Beginnings

Although winter is the season to rest and regroup, it’s also the time to make those dreams into a reality. It’s an opportunity to prepare fore new beginnings. Use this season to lay the groundwork of the rest of year.

Get a planner where you can write down all the goals that you want to achieve. Then create an action plan for each one. I’m more of a planner girl. However, I know vision boards are another popular way to push yourself to dream and get inspired more.

I tried to get into audiobooks this year but realised very quickly that I prefer physical books. There is something about feeling the turn of the page with my fingers. The book that I was attempting to read was 12 Year Week by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington. I’ve heard that this book is a really good book to view your year as 12 weeks instead of 12 months. It pushes you to move with more urgency and intention towards a specific goal. Rather than moving with the perspective that you have 12 months of time. We know how quickly time can go by. If planning for the upcoming year is something that you find overwhelming, try breaking it down into 12 weeks.

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I hope that this post gets you thinking about how you want to embrace this winter season and what you want this chapter to look like. We have a little over than two weeks of this year left so enjoy it and unwind. Make sure to hit that subscribe button to join the community and never miss out on a post. Find me on Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok for more powerlifting and wellness content.

Until next time,

Folakemi