“Ride the energy of your own unique spirit.” ~ Gabrielle Roth

Leaves have been swept from the trees here in northwest Colorado, now on the ground, they are insulating the earth from the harsh oncoming winter. We’ve already had morning temperatures as low as ten degrees, yesterday we had more than just a dusting of snow on the upper elevations.  Summer clothes have been put away, and traded for layers.

Like the climate, our emotions vacillate during different times of the year. Researchers have studied the effect of sunlight (or lack thereof) on our psyches. The culture in which we surround ourselves, the natural environment and life’s events also play a part in how we are feeling.

There are things we can do to combat the blues, that for some people come with the darker seasons. I try to do things a little differently in the winter, so when that when my least favorite seasons arrive I have some special pleasures to look forward to.

• A treat of biscotti is added to my afternoon of tea, always.
• Aromatic candles I light, send out scents of warmth – cinnamon, pine, apple and nutmeg are my personal favorites.
• Soups, chowders and chili appear often on the dinner table along with hot out of the oven bread and salad, which is different than the kind I make in the summer.
• A  small knitting project that I can fit into my tight schedule often is started. Small, so I can feel the sense of accomplishment in finishing it before the end of the winter.
• Outdoors time is traded for more indoor time – more reading and movies are on the docket.
• My daily walk continues year round, even in the coldest temperatures here in mountainous Colorado. At the end of my journey, I return to a warm fire, making it all worthwhile. The cold is exhilarating, the warmth embracing. It feels delightful.

There is a book by John R Sharp, M.D.
, a Harvard psychiatrist, that explains seasonal fluctuations in our emotional well-being and some steps we can take to stay balanced in the “dark” times and seasons of  our lives.

For more information on his book, The Emotional Calendar: Understanding Seasonal Influences and Milestones to Become Happier, More Fulfilled, and in Control of Your Life, please visit this website John R Sharp, M.D.

 This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpectedand www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.