I’ve got a confession for you today.  I’ve been trying to hold it back, ignore it, and otherwise pretend the issue doesn’t exist, but here it is:

I just don’t care about simplicity as much in winter.

Yeah. Probably not what you expected to hear from me, right? Consider the following symptoms:

  • Writing about simplicity has been more of a struggle
  • I’ve been in a very accumulative mood, shopping and adding stuff to my home right and left
  • The thought of paring down just doesn’t excite me like it has in other times

When I began to realize that this was happening, I was pretty freaked out. “Oh, no! It was just a phase! I’m going to go back to living in a mess and being stressed out. Nooo!”  Once I got over that, I started considering the “why,” “when,” and “how” of my minimalist malaise and realized that this isn’t a new phenomenon.

Snow on the Ground, Change in the Air

Frost on a pine needle
Ever since moving from California’s Central Coast (where seasons are pretty much nonexistent) to Idaho’s Treasure Valley (where the seasons laugh in your face and call you Sally if you complain), I almost always change my behavior to a degree in the white chill of winter. Whether it’s eating different foods, enjoying different activities, or having a different energy level, I change with the seasons. And that’s okay.

For me, winter is a time to snuggle up and relax. Sitting and enjoying the beauty of nature is not so much of an option anyway: everything in the Treasure Valley goes dormant for the winter. And then Roo whizzes on it. Not very appealing. Slipping and falling on the icy sidewalks? Again, not my favorite activity. So it’s no surprise that evenings spent curled up on the couch watching movies, reading, and baking are par for the course.

It’s not just nature that changes my lifestyle, though. My whole outlook changes with the weather as well it seems.

  • Rooms that feel messy and cluttered in the spring and summer seem cozy and lived in during the chilly months.
  • A packed pantry isn’t a sign of poor planning; it’s a way to avoid hitting the grocery store on snowy evenings.
  • A full closet doesn’t mean pruning is in order; it means more ways to layer up and stay comfy.
  • Days spent indoors aren’t a waste of a perfectly good day. Instead, they’re the perfect way to enjoy it. (And I have to imagine that so many hours spent inside are the driving force behind my desire to feather the nest more than usual.)

Are the Winter Blues a Problem?

Alabama autumns fire
Does this make all of my writings useless then? Should I pack it in if simplicity doesn’t fully apply from January through March?  Quite the opposite for me. Once I realized what was going on, it actually excited me. This was a chance to give myself a break, kick my feet up, and enjoy the things that drive me crazy the rest of the year.  It’s also a chance to try new things and write about topics that might not fit in my life a few months from now.

So if you’ve got a touch of the winter blues, don’t sweat it. Remember that things always feel new and exciting again in spring, and in the meantime, we get to enjoy the coziness and lazy days of winter. Now, where’s that cocoa and cookies? I feel a movie night coming on…

Creative Commons License photo credit: Lida Rose

Creative Commons License photo credit: Southernpixel

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