Winter is coming

Since the moment it got briefly chilly in October, my clients have started saying “winter is coming.” If you’re imagining how it's said in Game of Thrones, yes, that is the vibe: a foreboding, a warning, a long march through.

I get it. When it gets cold and dark early, and there’s weather (which I assume will come, although in Philly we’ve had quite a drought), it’s difficult to find joy. When you add the state of the world, the end of daylight saving time, and the election results, it really does feel like capital W winter is bearing down on us.

Winter is hard. There’s no way around it. You are allowed to be having a hard time, with the dark and the world, etc. Every day does not have to be devoted to self-improvement or attempting to outrun the bad feelings. Have the feelings. Winter is coming and it might be hard to get through.

But it doesn't have to be hard the whole time. You can find warmth: in your bed or a big comfy chair or in front of a fire. You can find joy: in cooking or visiting or decorating. You can find moments that are not cold and dark to offset the moments that are. I'm not suggesting you can avoid a tough winter. I'm suggesting you can find ways to make it easier on yourself.

So, as winter approaches with the darkness and despair, consider how you'll take care of yourself. Find the joy, find the light, find the moments that will keep you moving along. Because you will get through it. Even winter ends.