The Little Things
February 4, 2014

I’ll be honest- winter is not in any way my favorite season…AT ALL. I remember one point, maybe 4ish years ago, when I realized that I couldn’t even enjoy fall anymore (even though I really love fall), because I was so full of dread for the upcoming winter. YIKES- how sad that I chose to lose out on enjoyment for something that was yet to come. This really was the final straw for me, as I realized that my disdain for winter had really spiraled out of control. This was the start of me trying to work really hard to enjoy the winter…. to choose happiness even when it wasn’t natural in the moment for me.

One of the things that’s made a big difference for me is to head outside and actually ENJOY the snow. There is so much beauty that the winter holds, and when I was grumbling and hating on winter, I missed out on most of it- how sad! This is part of one of my 14 challenges in 2014– to be present. I try to go on a few walks a week, and really take the time to pause and enjoy nature around me. Winter gives some awesome views.

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Another thing I’ve really appreciated about winter lately is that it provides the perfect environment to drink all sorts of delicious warm drinks! I love tea, coffee, and hot chocolate, and sometimes in the summer it’s the last thing that I want. I’m thankful that winter provides an environment where these drinks are perfect! I even got a milk frother for Christmas this year just to take that enjoyment level up just a little bit more!

Winter allows us to have all things cozy- warm baths, space heaters, heated blankets, regular blankets, fires, shirts with thumb holes, and fluffy sweaters. These are all things that I do miss in the summer (even though I REALLY love the heat of summer!). These are things that become instantly calming to most people, and I’m glad that winters provide time for these things.

When I really stop to think about it, there are many things that I do like in the winter. So, when I find myself grumbling about something (like the 15 minutes it might take to scrape all the ice off my car after a storm), I try to not only acknowledge whatever that negative is, but I try to insert a few positives as well. “I’m so thankful for the cold in the winter because it allows me to curl up under a blanket and enjoy a nice, hot drink”.

I try to give myself a balanced view of the situation, and as I’ve done this, I’ve noticed my disdain towards winter shrinking a bit. I doubt it’ll ever be a top season of mine, but at least I no longer dread it. Yet another example of us  owning our reactions and choosing to be active in our health.

Now it’s your turn to share! What’s one thing in life that you could work on balancing out your view of (like the cold in the winter!)? What do you enjoy about the winter?

For other tips on thriving in the winter, check out my post HERE.

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5 responses to “Is Happiness Possible In The Winter?”

  1. Kim @ BusyBod says:
    February 4, 2014 at 7:48 am

    I also tend to get cranky about winter, but when it’s snowy out, I love how beautiful it is. Cold without snow though I just can’t get behind, but hot chocolate and cuddles make it better. 🙂

  2. BalancingB says:
    February 4, 2014 at 3:07 pm

    So true – sometimes we need to change our perspective. I can get down and out in the winter, but there are some aspects and activities I really enjoy.

  3. ktfit says:
    February 7, 2014 at 10:43 am

    Winter makes you appreciate the summer 🙂 sometimes I miss that about not living in the Midwest anymore. I often take the San Diego weather for granted.

  4. The Little Things says:
    February 24, 2015 at 2:58 am

    […] get this overwhelmed feeling since we were on the “downhill slide into winter”. Yes- I was willing to let a season I actually really enjoyed (fall) be a lousy experience for me because I knew that winter came after it. How silly of me, […]