Beating the Winter Blues
As a muted hue of grey shadows over the sky, the blues have become an inevitable stop to navigating the season. But the blues cannot arrest the momentum of life, and so being in this season prompts us to find ways to mitigate and resolve its effect on our livelihood. Below, you will find the means through which some members of the Sonndr community find solace in the frost.
MJ: Go to Sonndr.
Although deceivingly a selfish invite to come spend time with us at the café, the veiled intention behind MJ’s message is that MJ encourages us to find imponderable reasons to vacate oneself from the warmth of their home. Though time at home is one of the joyous elements of the season, the isolation can be a means of amplifying the sentiment of the blues, whereas occasional outings for mundane tasks, such as journalling, reading, or participating in abandoned projects of arts and craft can give reason to inhabit a multiplicity of settings both socially and physically.
LOR: I keep myself busy, I take my vitamins, I find time to work out. I also take the moment to learn new things – learn a new language, just keep my mind busy, you know what I’m saying? Hobbies. Definitely hobbies.
Rakgwedi: Stay active. Oregano oil.
Emma: Knitting, and sewing, and crafting in general.
The cold season can manifest itself as a slow one, and although this rhythm of stagnancy is warm and imperative, it also provides space to explore aspects of ourselves that often get shovelled under the need to attend to other priorities. During this time, LOR, Emma, and Rakgwedi invite us to set some time aside to being attentive to our wellbeing both physically and mentally. For LOR and Emma, this is a time of possibility and engagement with the sides of ourselves often unheard. For Rakgwedi, a combination of supplements like oregano oil (which arguably, is the cure to everything) and movement in any capacity may be the remedy to beating the blues.
Another individual, when prompted with this question, answered: Let myself be blue. Moments of stagnancy are not always the enemy. This individual encourages us to dwell in the blues, to let the lows be a means to embracing the highs, and to allow yourself the chance to dance with the rhythm of life.
Writer’s Note: Adopting a routine.
Perhaps not a popular sentiment, but I think that one of the most beautiful aspects of being situated in Toronto is being exposed to four, distinct seasons year by year. It presents itself to me as a testament to our measure of time, like clockwork. That being said, Winter fares itself the most unpredictable, which prompts me to believe that the greatest remedy is to find a sense of stability within the inconsistency of the manner in which Winter presents itself; to adopt a routine. That being said, the routine should be balanced with a sense of grace towards our own experiences, to listen to our bodies and our minds, and to give ourselves the chance to just be during this slow(er) season.
Ultimately, we hope that despite the flurries and frost outside your window, that you give yourself warmth and kindness. Maybe that means treating yourself to a coffee and conversation with us. Maybe not. But hopefully not the latter.
See you soon,
Sonndr x