As much as I enjoy that extra hour of sleep when time changes in the fall, it is the beginning of the hardest time of year for me. It’s dark. It’s cold. It’s damp. And it makes me sad.

I just want to wrap up in a blanket, in front of a fire and sleep. I don’t want to be bothered with people, I don’t want to go out. I want comfort food.

Last year, during the dark days of 2020 I gave myself permission to do as much or as little as I wanted and it was the best thing I could have done for myself. I know this is not possible for most people with work and other life commitments, but it made a world of difference for me.

I slept in, took naps, only moved when I wanted to. I ate soup, drank tea, had ice cream and just chilled. I read a bunch of books, filled up sketch books, played with watercolor and acrylic paints. I did stuff I wanted to do until I didn’t want to and then moved on to something else or I did nothing at all.

And you know what? I wasn’t depressed. I wasn’t stressed. I learned that for me the artificial structure of life, that I was forcing myself to live, was a major cause of stress. When I allowed myself to honor my natural rhythms of rest and activity, rather than society’s, I was better able to navigate the dark days of winter. I don’t know what 2021 will bring, but my plan is to let my body and my energy lead. I’m prepared to take it easy until the sun returns and days get longer.

Do the short days of winter affect you like this? How do you get through it?