Here, in Western Europe, the dark months have arrived. My relationship with winter is what you would call a hate-love affair. On sunny days you might find me creating a snowman. Walking in the dark with our dog, my husband is so kind to do that. Cold rainy days can affect my mood and the thought of spring arriving again in about 4 months, is one of the things that keep me going during winter times. Although, getting older, I have grown to appreciate the purpose of winter a bit; rest and prepare for a new season to come.
Dark times
Like Nature has it’s dark months, we humans can experience dark periods during our life. A loss of a beloved one, violence inflicted upon you directly or indirectly, change of hormones, aging…various reasons could cause emotions and feelings of sadness, anxiety, stress, etc. Depending on the severity, the feeling of living in darkness could be a possible outcome.
Stress is nowadays the number one reason for people to become unbalanced physically and/or mentally. About 90 to 95 percent of visits to the doctor are stress related. Every 40 seconds! someone loses their life to suicide.
Uniqueness
What started to frustrate me during the years researching and studying about human health, is the generalizing approach many health related experts use. Depressed? Take this drug. Anxious? Go to that therapy group. Burnout? Sign up for the local fitness-club. Experience stress? Ah, we all have daily stress, get used to it.
Don’t get me wrong, a certain medication or therapy could be beneficial to help you find the light in the darkness again. Looking into your nutrition intake and exercise on a daily base is a good starting point to gain back your overall health. Stress, physical or mental, is a warning signal you are out of balance. I strongly believe, we also should take our uniqueness into consideration.
What’s good for you, does not have to be good for me and vice versa.
Recharge
Life can be harsh, it is finite and the perfect way does not exist. Losing someone dear to you, requires a period of mourning. When abused, it will take time to find your confidence, your trust in yourself and in others again. Not everyone is fond of the winter, not everyone loves the warmth of the sun.
Sometimes we just need to recharge. To remind ourselves that it is ok to go through dark times, embracing it fully. Retreat from the world around you, crawl into bed and close the curtains. Maybe you prefer to binge-watch Netflix mindlessly all day long. Or even relocate to another city to escape what you think is causing the darkness.
Reaching out for guidance, support, a listening ear will only be beneficial to you when you are ready to Connect to Yourself again. Since we are unique, only we can decide if and when to leave the pain, the hurt, the suffering behind us.
Personally, I hope you will address those dark times as nature does. When dark months do arrive, embracing the darkness could also be a way to recharge yourself. To rest, to reflect and also to remember: it is fun to play with the falling leaves…
How do you deal with those dark times? Do tell, you know I love to connect 😉
5 Responses
I try to make the most of each season. In winter I ski (which you can’t do in summer). Also, I allow myself to enjoy “indulging in reading” on the days when it’s too cold or snowy to go out. I also know that spring and summer will return, and that gives me hope!!!
I just realized, I never have skied! Hm, maybe something to add to my bucket-list. Oh yes, reading on the sofa, covered with a blanket and hot choco 🙂
Thanks for connecting again! I will visit your virtual place soon 😉
I mam really fond of the dark days… mørketid, as we call it here in Denmark. After being outdoors in summer most of the time, after the harvest in fall and being busy getting all edible stuff preserved, I look forward to going inside: into our house, into myself. Reflect, having time to give thanks to all the riches in nature around me. Read books, listen to music and play my harp more than in summer… love it! This all doesn’t mean I’m not coming outside in winter. On the contrary: that is the time we walk on the beaches, in the dunes… just us and the elements… ??? Enjoy your dark days, dear Patty! XX
Yes, I learned to appreciate all those activities too, dear Anuscka. Howewer, one month of winter would be more then enough for me 🙂
Looking forward to read your winter stories in and around your yellow house! XxX