Winter Mindfulness

Darker days can bring about low seratin levels, especially for those of us who grew up in bright climates. 

How to raise your positive levels in winter as the days shorten?  

These are some of the things I do to keep positive - 

Get out in nature - I love the changing seasons & how different it all looks as the leaves cloak themselves in their autumn colours, the sound of the crunchy leaves underfoot. I collect a few conkers, acorns, twigs & leaves for a vase at home.  

I love looking at tree shapes once they have shed their leaves - the structures are so interesting, I need to spend more time learning how to draw a proper tree. Perhaps that is something for this winter. Any tips? 

I love it when snow changes the look & sound of the familiar - the quietness that comes with it - the pureness, the crisp air. The same is true for Autumn mists that swirl around us, making everything mysterious, half hidden from sight, discombobulated images ... 

With colder days, I find myself at home more & it is a wonderful opportunity to spend time sewing or crafting. Last year, I made some Xmas decorations from fabrics I already had & had a lovely time just adding hand stitching details. They were well received as gifts & I think I will do something similar again to pop in to the Xmas cards I send. 

I am minded to make some little Xmas bunting for the conservatory sideboard. I made some mini coronation bunting & am inspired to do some festive ones.  It has to compliment the china that goes up each year so I am already jotting down some ideas which brings me to the next one .... 

Writing, journaling, arranging thoughts - I always keep a travel journal on my trips because it focuses the mind on what you have seen, experienced, eaten, heard,  enjoyed or even found challenging.  I love returning to the journals much later on & reading through it with fresh eyes, away from that moment en route when I penned those thoughts. It is a bit of hindsight but it means you return to that moment again .... 

I always have several notebooks at hand - one for creative ideas that I jot down with fabrics & drawings I might try out.  I also do a Zen Creative retreat online several times a year when artists generously share their time & skills. I keep these as notes to refer to the techniques again. It has helped my creative process no end ... 

These creative challenges are so important to our brains - it keeps it sharp, it keeps it busy, it gives it new skills to get to grips with.  I still find I have to refer to the internet or my many books for some of the sewing stitches because they are not second nature but that is how we learn.  

I also spend a lot of my time reading, researching things I want to know more about. I came back from my Spanish Civil War trip with a list of names I found interesting; artists whose work I encountered in the Reina Sofia art gallery in Madrid that I did not know, photographers who were out in the thick of things documenting the war - people like Robert Capa, Gerda Taro, Chim (David Seymour) & the story of their negatives being told in The Mexican Suitcase 

Looking out at the bare bones of the winter garden helps me to plan some changes for Spring & Summer. I love our hedges & layers of green shrubs but there are gaps too that need addressing. It is an opportunity to see which plants can be reshaped too - planning through photos …

What things do you do over the long Winter months to keep yourself going with the days are short & the nights long? 

Thank you for your company, it is always appreciated, 

Dee  ☔️🪡🕯️