insideKENT Magazine Issue 93 - December 2019 | Page 129

HEALTH+WELLNESS
SEASONAL WELL-BEING
LEARN FROM NATURE, SLOW YOUR PACE, AND DISCOVER THE
WELLBEING BENEFITS OF THE WINTER RENEWAL.
BY ALICE ROSE
FOR MANY OF US, ENTERING THE SEASON OF WINTER CAN BE A CHALLENGING TIME. AS WE
PACK AWAY THE LAST OF OUR SUMMER CLOTHES (AND MEMORIES OF BEACHY SUNDOWNERS),
WINTER CAN COME TO FEEL LIKE SOMETHING TO DREAD… THE LACK OF LIGHT, THE SHORTER
DAYS, THE INEVITABLE ILLNESS AND ALL THE SOCIAL AND FAMILY EXPECTATIONS THAT CAN
COME TO OVERWHELM US AT THIS TIME OF YEAR.
Nature, however, has a different take on this time
of year. And one we can all learn a great deal from.
In the natural world, growth declines and halts the
need to be productive, allowing stillness to arrive.
The living world hibernates, it sleeps - rewarding
itself a natural slumber and patiently waits for the
bright and feverish productivity of the lighter and
warmer months.
So, as nature nurtures, so can we. By changing the
way we move and live through these darker months,
we can be given the opportunity to tend to our bodies
and minds with a gentleness, rather than forcing
ourselves to be in a heightened state of productivity.
Obviously, we still have to get up and go about our
day, but we do have the choice to make positive
changes that could support a gentler, slower lifestyle.
This winter renewal is what prepares us for the
coming of spring, a time when energy levels begin
to rise and the living world grows and gets ready to
produce once again. But in these modern times, we
tend to not heed nature, believing that we can be
productive, strive and push ourselves all year round.
Society supports and in some ways dictates this high
expectation, but as the balance is tipped we often
find ourselves unwell, unhappy and over stressed
through the winter months.
Mirroring winter; moving slower, creating more rest,
eating well, and sleeping better, will positively support
your well-being, so that when spring arrives, you
will feel energised and replenished.
How do we do this I hear you say!
1. Weekly/daily intake of nature
by walking outside:
Allow yourself time to observe and listen to the
stillness of the forest or field, witness the bare branches
and the fallen leaves. Perhaps take a moment to sit,
become aware of your breath and be quiet with
yourself. We are now inundated with research that
129