I save 1 week of vacation each year so I can take off between Christmas and New Years. That is my own winter break! It’s also the time I enjoy my tree (and all of the hundreds of decorations on it!), relax, rest, read, watch Hallmark movies, and drink an obscene amount of hot cocoa.
It’s also the beginning of what I call my ‘Winter In’.
I make no plans, no resolutions, and wait for any planning until about mid-January unless it’s for my family. The three week period is simply for my Winter In.
I love winter; I love the snow and storms and just enjoy it. So long as everyone is home and my hot cocoa supply is still full, even a big blizzard would be heaven.
Winters in SE Idaho are not consistent, just like the rest of the seasons here. We could have a mild winter or have a blizzard or two. That’s part of why I like to leave my schedule open; my husband might go ice fishing, or we go skiing.
When the weather’s nice, I venture out and take pictures of the bones of my garden (for next year’s planning, of course), of my cows and ducks in the snow, and my family- who are, of course, used to my camera and I. Other times, we go for a drive so I can capture shots of the swans and geese that are in the area this time of year. Wildlife is also plentiful where I live, so I try to find deer, moose, or elk to photograph as well.
As I mentioned before, my vacation is also spent reading; the amount of reading I do increases dramatically. I’d rather read in the evening after the sun has gone down and the fire is burning and settle in with a book than watch a movie or go to dinner.
Once I’m near the end of my Winter In, I start making plans for my garden. I review the seeds I have left and order what I need; the pictures I took through my vacation are gone through and I start a list for garden, home and yard projects. It’s the time I finally have my planner out and start to schedule. Not too much, just a few things added to the calendar as I continue to enjoy my winter.
I like to let my mind and body relax more in this period than I do in other months. I don’t push for results in January and instead let myself have a mini ‘human-hibernation’. I still work, chores have to be done, but as for everything it’s… It’s laid back. I simply winter in, enjoy my home and family, without letting the outside world dictate what I should be doing.
What it does for my mental health is beyond most self-care suggestions; my heart and mind get right for the year as I let winter remind me that it’s time to turn within and rest.
