January is also known as Mental Wellness Month, but if you checked social media or the fast-paced world around us, this is probably a surprise. At the beginning of every year, there is immense pressure to set new goals for the months ahead, usually pertaining to physical fitness and personal growth. Goal-setting is not necessarily a negative thing, but we often set ourselves up for failure by establishing harsh standards during a difficult time of the year. Coming off the busy holiday season, our bodies and minds need a period of restoration and balance. If any of this resonates with you, we have just the perspective shift you might be looking for…
Instead of an intense start to the year, at CWS-Greensboro we are encouraging our clients and staff to embrace the concept of ‘wintering.’ Naturalists have long-documented how other species adapt to the seasonal changes, particularly during the darker, colder months. ‘Wintering’ applies to humans as well, bringing a softer, more intuitive approach to surviving till springtime. It prioritizes rest and renewal, creating time to set thoughtful intentions for the year ahead. Most importantly, ‘wintering’ is an all-inclusive method that applies to the unique needs and challenges in our lives.
There are many recommendations for how to ‘winter’ the season, but here are some of our chosen favorites. To start, our Refugee Wellness Program always advocates for listening to your bodies. Allow yourself to feel however you feel, experiencing emotions as they come rather than shutting them out. Once we are honest about how we feel on the inside and out, we can accurately determine what our needs are and how to meet them. Instead of rigid goals, we also advise setting gentler intentions that have broader means of achieving them and being patient with ourselves when we fall short. Perhaps most importantly, prioritize rest whenever you can. Rest is not selfish, nor is it something that must be deserved. It is crucial to our wellbeing, and while the world around us is practicing it, it is time we ‘winter’ with them as well.
Resources:
https://thestandardspeaks.com/wintering-an-invitation-to-heal-rest-and-renew/
https://jeanniedibon.com/gentle-january/
https://mariashriver.com/why-wintering-is-crucial-to-our-well-being/
https://recoverycentersofamerica.com/blogs/january-is-mental-wellness-month/