Soothed Burns
Entering Hibernation Mode
After nearly a decade of living up north, I’m finally getting a better grip on winter. For so long, I’ve been used to the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) that pop around every year.
But it’s clear I now have better resolutions to surviving SAD when winter arrives. All it took was a meditative switch in perspective, a conscious mindfulness that led me to appreciate what I now realize are our hibernation months.
See, most people can agree that burnout is a bitch, and I’m used to spending my Autumns, like most, burning myself into scorched Earth.
Piling project upon project atop my shoulders always sounds great in theory to my unreasonable mind, leading to Fall seasons filled with never-ending tasks and responsibilities. By the end of it all, I become a zombie, both physically and mentally.
Then, suddenly, winter looms into view, taking over for vibrant Autumn to bring bitter cold and quick darkness.
And yet, my meditative efforts have led me to appreciate the automatic slowdown that pairs with the winter season. Your body runs slower, you tire much quicker, and life seems to drag on, but all in a good way.
All that accumulated burnout receives room for rest, quiet reflection, and renewing growth in preparation for the Spring. Without our frigid winters, we lose the chance to breathe in the cold air, become present for a minute or two, and feel Mother Nature laid bare around us.
Our entire Earth can feel the blazing scars of burnout, especially since our culture is well-known for being overworked and underfed. So, now more than ever, I’m thankful that our human minds and bodies still follow the rules of the natural world, inadvertently entering hibernation mode when winter comes around.
From here on out, I vow to take a deep breath when winter arrives and switch my perspective. Keeping natural hibernation in mind, I now force myself outdoors, remembering that these months are all part of the cyclical process called life.
Even on the days too cold to do nothing more than snuggle indoors, SAD creeps in only for a second before I gain a sense of relief, remembering I have a whole season to soothe my burns before hopping into Spring.
