Winter can be a difficult time of year for some people and this year it is being made all the more challenging by the lockdown and the second wave of the coronavirus epidemic.
Seasonal changes affects us to an extent which is not always fully acknowledged as we become as a society increasingly detached from the rhythms of the natural world.
Our ancestors who lived much closer to nature were perhaps more accepting of seasonal change. They incorporated it into their annual rituals, folklore and frequent festivities – some vestiges of which still remain, but in forms which are increasingly remote from the changes in the natural world and the weather which gave them birth.
Scandinavian countries such as Denmark and Norway with their concept of hygge are also better able than us to adapat to the austerities of the cold months, finding joy in the comforts of coziness, conviviality and the simple pleasures life has to offer.
These ideas are not alien to us either. It was novelist, Charles Dickens, who in the Victorian era helped to establish many of the customs which have become an integral part of the British Christmas.
Ultimately it’s about developing an attitude and a state of mind which helps to nurture our sense well-being, even in adversity. Rather than lamenting the loss of the summer, or dwelling on what is absent from our lives, we can benefit by tuning in to the pleasures which winter can bring.
Below are some useful tips which might help with that and see our Facebook page for many other useful resources to increase mental well-being:
