A Summer Babe’s Guide to Surviving (and Loving) Winter
For most of my life, I hated winter. Like, truly hated it.
I spent much of my teens and twenties on antidepressants prescribed to “treat” Seasonal Affective Disorder. Instead of feeling better, I felt muted. Gray. Less joyful. Less me. The world didn’t feel heavier (which I suppose was good) but it did feel flatter. I knew I didn’t want to be on these meds for 4 -5 months / year so I had to start reframing winter.
Around 2019, something shifted. That was the year I stopped drinking. I often call it Year Zero of my wellness journey. You’ll hear me reference life as BF (Before Booze) and PF (Post Booze), because honestly, it changed everything. Including my relationship with winter.
I am, at heart, a summertime babe. Sunshine charges me like a solar panel. So living in the chilly, gray Mid-Atlantic has always felt like a personal affront. I joke that January Shawnie and June Shawnie are two entirely different people.
And you know what? That’s okay.
We’re not meant to be the same all year long. Learning to live with seasonal wisdom has been one of the greatest gifts I’ve given myself.
These days, winter is no longer something to endure. It’s something I tend to.
Winter is for rest. For going inward. For nourishment and yin energy. Which is probably why the New Year in January has always felt wildly misaligned for me. My new year begins at the Spring Equinox in March, when the earth actually wakes up again.
So how do I make winter less sucky and more supportive? It comes down to four pillars:
Movement
Movement is one of my primary forms of nourishment. In winter, that means gearing up properly so I can still get outside. Quality boots, jackets, socks, gloves. No suffering for aesthetics, I am going to be warm even if I look like a damn fool. I throw on leggings and sweatpants, pop in my headphones, and cruise through Patterson Park.
Movement with gal pals is very important to me, so I know who my go-to homies are that will also brave the cold. Getting a warm drink in our hands with stroll together through the city and the laughter is always medicine.
If I am moving indoors, it’s weight lifting and rock climbing. Or dancing in my zen den with the space heater on full blast. And stretching in the sauna (duh)
I find that morning movement is best for me so when the afternoon / evening comes, I’m able to more fully relax and rest. But if I haven’t moved my body sufficiently, then it’s harder for me to rest (Yes, I am basically a labrador puppy)
Embrace rest
Winter is early-to-bed, early-to-rise season. I make my sleepy-time tea almost immediately after dinner dishes are done. My calendar gets lighter. I do what’s necessary and leave space for what’s restorative.
I literally schedule “constructive rest” on my calendar. And by constructive rest, I mean naps. If I don’t schedule rest, I will push through. Every time. Winter invites me to slow down, get contemplative, and become curious about my thoughts, words, and actions.
This is the season of reading on the couch with my dog tucked behind my knees and a heating pad on my low back. It’s the season of warm drinks, low lighting, chill music and incense. Resting in winter is exactly what I need, even though I resisted it for yearssss.
Get morning sunlight
It’s tempting to sleep in during the winter months (that bed is just so damn cozy) but I really prioritize seeing the sunrise or early morning light.
Early morning light, especially sunlight shortly after waking, is crucial for regulating the body's internal clock aka circadian rhythm. This helps with boosting mood, improving focus, increasing energy, supporting healthy weight, and enhancing sleep quality at night by signaling the body to produce cortisol and suppress melatonin.
Getting natural light (without sunglasses) for 30-45 minutes, ideally within the first hour of waking, is my goal. So yes, even in the winter, I am powered by the sun.
Eat warm foods
This is a TCM and Ayurvedic tip that I picked up in acupuncture. Cold foods, especially in the winter slow digestion. The warmth of food provides a cozy energy from the inside out.
I love a smoothie but it’s just not meant for my body in the winter. I lean into warm foods so I can maintain homeostasis, so I can work with my body. Soup season is the vibe for sure and having something simmering on the stove for hours feels so damn good. I make a soup on Sundays, enough to share with friends and put in the freezer for later on. Is there really ever enough soup?
The same goes for drinks. No ice in the water and lattes always warmed.
Like a rockstar with a tour rider, these are my demands for hanging out in the winter:
I can bring my dog
I can walk to the location
I will be home by 10:00 pm
I can wear sweat pants / cozy clothes / no zippers
If it’s not 2 out of 4 for these, I likely won’t be going. You can come over to my house and the same 4 demands apply to you as well.
Changing my relationship to winter is really about turning to the natural world for guidance. The trees rest. The bears hibernate. The birds fly south for the winter (I’ll be doing that a bit later in the month)
Nature is giving us the playbook of what to do, we just have to follow it.
What are you doing for a nourishing winter?