The past couple weeks we have started to experience longer nights and colder temperatures. From experience, winter is mostly a time for relaxing, staying inside and sleeping. I tend to lose motivation and become more stagnant. 

This winter I am trying to teach myself how to continue moving and growing even when it gets tough. How can winter be a more positive season for us? What can silence and relaxation teach us? I am a firm believer that every situation, feeling and season has a reason—even winter. 

I asked a few friends of mine, Anna Lopukhine and Damris Dinu, both juniors at Kent State how winter affects their livelihoods. Both feel similarly that the winter season is a heavier season and brings on a lot of stress and lack of motivation. 

“Winter definitely tends to be a hard time. As someone who grew up on the east coast, with the shift in seasons I feel myself losing motivation to do anything productive. Especially being in college, something as simple as walking to class feels like an unreasonable chore as soon as the weather hits below 40 degrees.” Lopoukhine said. “Season depression is a troubling concept in today’s world. When you look out the window and see a snow storm, it can seem impossible to get out of your bed. Winter challenges people to push past their negative thoughts and to keep moving forward, even if you don’t want to.”

I notice that as I go through life I am constantly looking ahead. Looking for new opportunities and events to fill up time and space in my life. Constantly planning the next step and next chapter in my life, instead of enjoying where I am currently at. 

This winter, I told myself I was going to give myself time to relish in the quietness and slowness of my life. Learn to be more present and enjoy the moment I find myself in. Allowing myself to be “bored” and my mind to wander instead of distracting myself with more work, more events and more importantly, more scrolling (another bad habit I am trying to break). 

I wanted to ask other opinions on how winter can be a time to learn and grow. Learning how to shift our negatives into positives and making the most out of our days no matter the circumstances and seasons. 

“People can use this time to reflect on their year as the new year is approaching and see what they wanna do differently or continue doing in the new year,” Dinu said. “You can grow by implementing positive self care habits in your routine such as journaling or going to the gym.”

Taking the time to sit with your own thoughts you are able to learn a lot about yourself. Why we feel the way we feel, act the way we act  and think the way we think. We are able to build new habits, reframe negative thoughts and have the opportunity to practice more self respect, self love and overall confidence and structure within our lives and within ourselves. 

If you find yourself in a slump, try to create small habits to incorporate into your routine to make your days a little more positive.  No matter if you decide to go walk on the treadmill at the gym or stare at yourself in the mirror and talk kinder to yourself, any small habit can reframe how we see and think of ourselves and the darker, slower months are a perfect time to do so. Just remember to give yourself some grace and do the best you can.

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