Beating the Winter Blues

‘As we move towards the darkest time of year what lies dormant in the soil of your life waiting for the right conditions to open and break through? If we surrendered to Earth’s intelligence, we would rise up rooted, like trees.’ Rainer Maria Rilke

As winter gathers momentum you may notice tiredness more than in the summer months. As the days become shorter and the darkness seems to become unavoidable, our bodies instinctively remind us that we are tired.

If you've ever noticed that you tend to feel tired at the same times each day, you have your circadian rhythm to thank. This is your 24-hour internal clock that constantly runs in the background of your brain, shifting between tiredness and alertness at regular intervals. As we are exposed to more night-time in the winter months, our circadian rhythms become more predominant to our senses, making us feel more prone to tiredness.

For most adults, the biggest dip in energy happens in the middle of the night (somewhere between 2am and 4am) and just after lunchtime (around 1pm to 3pm). 

With this in mind, it is very important to sleep well during the cold winter months to avoid dips in energy during the day. If you are sleep-deprived you'll notice bigger swings of sleepiness, alertness and mood. 

The long dark months of winter can seem very daunting, especially after the festivities of Christmas with the often-added pressure of detoxing;(‘dry January’ for many) The credit card bills remind us of our spending in the pre-Christmas bonhomie and can bring feelings of guilt and anxiety.

As we sit down at our desk for the 1st time in the New Year hoping to find ourselves fired up and full of bright new ideas for the best year ever, we can often end up feeling daunted, jaded and struggling to get through the endless emails and ‘to do’ list. We can go to bed feeling we have wasted the day and wake up dreading another lack-lustre and unproductive day.

So how can we welcome 2021 and embrace it, rather than counting the days until it is well and truly over?

How can we utilize the long, cold months to re-boot, recharge and re-focus our minds and bodies to live life to the full in the year ahead?

Half the battle is in accepting that most of us will not be feeling as energised in winter as we are in the warmer months. We will feel more like lying in bed on those dark, wintry mornings and then curling up in front of the fire/TV when the light fades in late afternoon/early evening.

So why not allow yourself extra rest time to catch up on some of those books you bought and promised to read in the previous year? Or to listen to webinars, podcasts, Ted Talks you have earmarked to delve into, to further your own development, without beating yourself up that we are not ‘working’ in the traditional way.

Any investment in your personal growth is also an investment in your business/professional growth and is essential if you want to keep on evolving and taking yourself to the next level and beyond.

January is also an excellent time to de-clutter your working environment and your business.

Sitting watching a favourite movie is an ideal time to delete unwanted files/photos/emails and to unsubscribe from the many lists you have been unknowingly added to. It also a great time to clean up your own databases and sort out your specific mailing lists.

None of the above activities take much brainpower or creativity but will certainly enable you to feel more organised and to work more effectively in the coming months.

Sir Steve Redgrave talks about doing something every day that ‘will make your boat go faster’. This was the principal that went a long way to winning him 5 Gold Medals. It doesn’t have to be a major task – it can be as simple as:

·      Reaching out to a potential client

·      Clearing your desk to increase productivity

·      Planning the next day so you hit the ground running

·      Adding a valuable post on social media

January is also a great time to think about how you want your life/business to be by the end of another year. So, allow yourself time just to dream a little and imagine how it will feel when those dreams come true.

A wonderful exercise I learned from Gosia Gorna - Transformational coach, speaker and author  was the following – 

Take a sheet of A4 or A3 paper and divide into 3 vertical columns.

·      In the 1st column  - write down all the things you are grateful for in the past year – both business and personal.

·      In the 2nd column – list all the people who have helped you in the previous year.

·      In the 3rd column – write down all the things you are proud of about ‘YOU’ in the past year.

I repeat this exercise every year and it has given me so much perspective not only on the amazing year that has just closed, but also on the incredible opportunities and support I have for the year ahead.

This is such a great exercise to do before any planning or goal mapping for the year ahead. It also really re-enforces what you loved doing and did well and what you should do more of in the coming months because it plays to your natural strengths.

Take time to review your goals for the past year before you plan the year ahead. What worked well for you and what did you struggle with? What do you need help with and what should you stop doing or let go of?

This is also an ideal time to look through notes you have taken from workshops, webinars, coaching sessions etc. and to review what actions are still relevant for you to take to ensure your success in the year ahead.

Don’t rush your planning, allow yourself time to think and to process those thoughts and dreams for the future and often it’s during the ‘down time’ that we get our ‘light bulb’ moments and deepest realisations.

So, allow yourself time to appreciate nature – wrap up warmly and get out in the fresh air - you will savour the warmth of your home and office so much more when you return. 

Talk to inspiring contacts and be really ‘present’ for them. Listen fully without rushing into solution mode; people need time to think and talk without judgment or answers, so give that very special gift of ‘undiluted listening’ and enjoy the pleasure that gives to others. You will most often find the ‘gift’ is reciprocated and we all think and talk more clearly in the presence of a great listener.

Embrace the gift of winter; it is a time to re-charge, re-boot and re-focus so allow yourself the precious time to do just that and start the new year feeling valued, positive and powerful.

#presence #personalimpact #self-leadeship