“If a Bear Can Do It, Why Can’t I?”

So what’s the answer?  If I can’t become a gloriously hibernating grizzly, and if I can’t magically shift cultural expectations with the changing of the seasons, then what options am I left with?

I’m not sure there is just one answer; but this year I’ve decided to “make like a bear” and store up some practical ideas (I’ll call them “Nuggets of Wisdom”) to help my body shift seasons with less resistance.  After all, bears do not go into hibernation “on the fly” with no preparation. It is built into their brains and nervous systems to observe the world around them, to note the changing of temperature and sunlight patterns, to monitor the scarcity of food, and to take steps to prepare a place for themselves to be safe and have their needs met in the season ahead. 

I invite you to take a look at the Nuggets I’ve gathered for my Winter Den and see if any of them resonate with resources you can use to help take care of yourself as you are wintering. 

• Look around you. – Literally open those eyes, get near a window or walk outside, and name 5 “natural” or organic things you can see right now (so not a car, a building, or piece of technology).  Ready?  GO!    We can learn so much from the flora and fauna around us. They just know what to do when the seasons change!  Many perennial plants and trees shed their leaves and literally slow down their processes to preserve the life of their root systems or seeds below ground. The lack of sunlight affects them just as much as us, if not more than us!  Get curious and take 5 minutes to ask the internet how your favorite plant or animal survives the winter months. You might be surprised by what you learn.

• Interview your Parts. – This may sound silly, but stay with me!  When you notice a physical sensation in your body urging you to lay down or to sleep – or when you hear a thought in your head or a sentence coming out of your mouth complaining about the cold or lack of sunlight, grab your imaginary microphone and get ready to interview that Part of you. That thought, sentence, or feeling just gave you some really good information about yourself, and you don’t want to miss it!   One technique I’ve learned involves asking that Part a series of short questions (e.g. “What are 2-3 words that describe you? What do you want or need? What’s something that you do well? What is hard for you?)  If you can suspend reality for just a few moments, you may find that some of your own Nuggets of Wisdom come out of those brief interviews.  Your Part may have a literal need that you can provide for it (e.g. a blanket, warmer shoes, a 15 minute nap, a Facetime call with a family member); or it may highlight the need for more exploration to creatively get that need met.

• “Open when” notes. – On days or in moments when you are feeling more energetic, write yourself a short message/phrase on a note card or post-it note; fold it in half; then on the outside give yourself a circumstance when your message will be helpful or even necessary for you to read it. For example…
  • (outside on the note) “Open When… You want to crawl back into your bed but have a full day of work ahead of you”  → (inside the note) “You WILL see your bed again later today – you can count on it!”      
  • (outside on the note) “Open When… You have no motivation to do anything but stay inside and binge a show on Netflix”  → (inside the note)  “You can do hard things. I know you’ll roll your eyes when you read this, but deep down you DO care about   [playing with your dog  /  making yourself a snack  /  washing your hair]  Sometimes even a small activity can help your body reset.”