Today the sun rises at 9:00 a.m. and sets at 3:46. It is December 21, 2020 in Fort McMurray, AB. Most people who live here that work days drive to work in the dark and return in the dark. If you work indoors without windows like I do at my job (when we are not laid off), you do not see the sun except on weekends for about three full months.
I have been lucky this winter in that I have been at home during the daylight hours. I get to see some wonderful sunrises and sunsets.
On really cold days, there are often sundogs in the sky.
We have also experienced beautiful views of the northern lights as early as 6pm…we don’t have to stay up late to see them. Tonight, like all of you, I hope to see the “Christmas Star”; when Jupiter and Saturn align.
I have the opportunity to go for walks on the quiet Birchwood Trails during the warmest part of the day. Walking amongst the snow laden trees brings a feeling of peace and contentment. As long as wear my lined jeans, a balaclava, and two layers of mitts I stay nice and warm.
Once I am home from my walk, I make a cup of Pearson’s apple cider, grab a couple of whatever cookies I have on the go and sit in my favourite chair. I open a book from the library and read a few chapters; losing yourself in a good book is always great therapy.
Have you ever hear the box theory about the differences between men and women? Women have multiple boxes open at any given time. These could include supper plans, laundry, errands, children and the list goes on. Men, on the other hand, usually only have one box open at a time and sometimes that box can be empty. This means they can actually be thinking about nothing. Most days I will spend some time in our garage working on some sort of wood burning project. I have found that while burning, I am able to tune out everything around me and my mind does not stray. I only have one box open and am concentrating only on what I am doing.
My husband had me watch this TED video about learning something new. I watched it around the time I started this blog. It made me feel motivated to try something new. Unfortunately, there are so many things I want to try that just doing one at a time is where I struggle. I really encourage you to watch the video.
There are moments where my mind gets anxious and I get that feeling of not knowing what I feel like doing and I have no motivation to do anything. For that reason, I keep a list on the counter of chores, craft projects and things to keep me busy. When I start to feel anxious, I look at the list and usually there is something there that I feel up to doing. It might be something as simple as putting in a load of laundry but it gets me “doing” instead of “thinking”. The best part is that feeling you get when you are able to cross something off the list.
Living so far north, having the sun set so early, your body regulates itself to the amount of daylight. I could easily go to bed at 6pm each day and sleep until 6:30 the next morning. I make myself do something after supper so that does not happen. I enjoy a hot bath, watch a Netflix show or movie, read a book and do my stretches but I am definitely asleep before 10pm. My body gets so much more rest in winter in a cool house with lots of blankets.
Another lovely thing about living in a cold climate is the craving one gets for warm comfort food. Meals like chili, stews, soups and casseroles become daily fare at our house. It is hard to enjoy these in the heat of the summer. I also make a lot more herbal tea, hot chocolate and cider in the winter months.
There are also hobbies that I only seem to “pick up” during the winter. Things like knitting, making puzzles, reading, and crafting become past times again.
To summarize, these are the things I do as self-care in the winter.
- enjoy the natural beauty you can only experience in winter; watch the sunrises and sunsets
- get out and see the sun
- do some sort of exercise; even better if it is outdoors
- keep a “to do” list for yourself to keep you motivated and update it daily
- find a new hobby or revisit an old one. Just make sure you enjoy it and spend time doing it.
- allow yourself to learn something new
- relish in the extra sleep and allow your body the rest it craves
- make and eat your favourite hot dishes
- drink lots of your favourite hot drinks
I hope you are all finding your own ways to beat the winter doldrums on this, the shortest day of the year.
One of the things I absolutely do more often during cold winter months is take the time each week to telephone family and have long conversations. “The nights are fair drawin’ in” ( the nights are quickly getting dark earlier) is an expression commonly shared between neighbours during the start of winter when the sun sets much earlier. I definitely take the opportunity during long winter days to call my family and have a good “blether”. (Chat). This is definitely one of my most favourite things to do. Merry Christmas Corinne to you and yours. 🥰🎄
That is another great idea for making the time past quickly in winter. I trust you have a good international long distance plan? Merry Christmas and enjoy the holidays.
Yes I do. 🥰. Merry Christmas!!