We just had our shortest day of the year yesterday with the winter solstice. This is the day when the earth’s tilt away from the sun is at its maximum for the northern hemisphere. The word “solstice” comes from the Latin words for sun and stop/pause, “sol” and “stitium,” respectively. Though we’re still in the midst of winter, the good news for sun lovers is that the daytime light starts to increase again!

Still, these dark, cold, and wet (on the wet coast) days can feel like a lot for some of us. It feels like a long time until spring, and more than a few of my patients have noted to me how challenging that is for them. Here are some of my simple tips for not just getting through the winter, but actually enjoying at least parts of it.

Get Outdoors

Getting natural light helps restore your circadian rhythm, so if you have sleep issues, need a lot of caffeine to stay alert, or feel a downturn in your mood in winter, this becomes particularly important for you. Even cloudy days offer more of the kind of light we need than indoor lighting. But you’ll need more outdoor time to get your fill–ideally at least 20 minutes.

It’s true. It can be hard to do this when the weather seems to be saying, “hide under a blanket indoors.” But living in Vancouver has one big advantage–our mountains, our forests, and our beaches.

I find that if the weather is dull and gray at water level, it’s brighter up on the mountains, once there’s some snow coverage. Plus, I don’t really care if it’s gray and I’m doing an activity I love, like snowshoeing. That crunch, crunch of the snow is such a great sound. If you’re a skier or snowboarder, then winter is your season! I used to cross country ski, but that was in Quebec, on flatter terrain, so I haven’t done it here.

Try to go somewhere forested. The treetops will hide the grey sky and you’ll get a bit of shelter from the rain while soaking up the tree vibes. I really feel that’s a thing. Those with dogs might already be doing this. Every time we take our dog to Pacific Spirit Park, we see there are tons of people doing the same. My dog doesn’t love the rain, but she doesn’t seem to notice it as much when she has a chance to try to jump into every muddy patch (with bath consequences) and drink every puddle (Why?! She’s not allowed to drink that water, but one of her nicknames is “ditchwater dog”). Her first year with us, having come from Iran, my dog was afraid of the snow, but now it’s her favourite! As much as I dislike the mess that Vancouver becomes the moment a flake of snow hits the ground, I do love watching her jump around in it!

If it’s the beach and water you love, then gear up and go for a walk. One nice thing about the winter is that the beaches are quieter. You can enjoy a stroll with fewer crowds. Or be daring and go for a cold plunge. I only do that once a year, on New Year’s Day. Sometimes. But go for it, if it fits your constitution!

Cozy Up Indoors

Yes, I just told you to get outdoors. But you’ll also benefit from some warm, cozy, quiet time indoors. Winter is the season of utmost Yin. In my last blog, I wrote about the seasonal shift from summer Yang (hot, sunny, active) to fall and winter Yin (cool, dark, and–should be–more restorative).

Cultivate your indoor time with things you enjoy besides watching tv or scrolling on screens. Curl up with a good book. Make a stir in the kitchen with cooking or baking. Get a bunch of friends together to play cards or board games. Take a course–there are so many great online ones, both paid and free. Write that book you’ve been thinking about forever (took me more than 15 years to write mine!).

Or maybe you really just need more rest time. Get out your most comfy pjs and blankets. Put on some soft music. Get some aromatherapy going. Restorative or Yin yoga at home or in a studio, perhaps. A hot bath with epsom salts. Or simply lie on your back with your legs up the wall for 10 minutes. Maybe your usual 7 hours of sleep isn’t enough in the winter. Maybe 8 or 9 is your optimum.

I find it hard to “do nothing.” So, my “nothing” time is usually still doing something. Though it has come in and out of my life, I generally feel better when I’m doing yoga regularly. Crafting (crochet, macrame, needle felting, embroidery/sashiko, etc.–check out my crafting highlights on my Instagram) is my meditation. Or I’ll lie on my acupressure mat (like a modern-day bed of nails) and neck relief pillow and focus on breath for 5-10 minutes.

Subtract

I had this conversation with a patient recently. I asked if she had to pick whether she wants things added or subtracted in her life right now, she said add. I asked why, and she said she only knows how to add, not subtract. I think that’s the case for many (most?) of us.

We do this with stuff–buy one get one, upgrade, stock up. We do this with our schedules, our goals, our lists (to do, bucket, followers). It can feel like abundance, at times. But it can also feel like overwhelm.

So, what can you subtract? An activity? An expectation? This is important for the “letting go” of fall season, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), but it remains a valuable skill throughout the year, particularly in the Yin season of winter, when rest and restoration continue to be key.

I love this image of the power of stepping away.

Allow Yourself to Be Supported

Call a friend, write a letter (yes, this CAN still be a thing–who doesn’t love getting an actual letter in the mail instead of just bills and flyers?), join a club or support group, or seek therapeutic support.

TCM offers many wonderful ways to support you throughout the year. If you’ve ever had acupuncture, you likely know that it’s nap time, or at least relax time. Some patients call it their acunap. I like to think of it as a reset button. Like how when you have something wrong with your technology, and IT tells you to turn your device off, wait 10 seconds, and turn it back on, and that causes it to work fine again. Acureset, perhaps?

A Chinese herbal formula may also support your body’s healing and rebalancing. Whether it’s pre-made tablets that happen to fit your constitution or a custom concentrated herbal powder formula that you drink, TCM’s “super power” is having a system that I got to learn so that I can know which combination of herbs will work best for you.

Knowing which foods you are best to choose supports you from a fundamental place. With TCM, I can use the same system from which I learned herbs to apply to foods. This is called “shi liao” or Chinese food cures. I already add my link to my book above, but I’ll shamelessly plug it again 😉 because it’s my blog.

You can also check out some of my free resources for exercises, breathwork, recipes, and health tips, or ask me.