It’s that time of year when it feels like winter will never end. Every once in a while, there are glimpses of spring, but then a burst of winter will occur and wipe it away. In my region, signs of spring generally don’t show up until the late part of March. This year, I decided to set myself the challenge of re-framing my negative perceptions of this late stage of winter in order to get into a positive mindset that will help me get through the next few months with more ease.
The first step is to get outside, go to a park, or walk around the neighbourhood. Even just sitting out on a balcony or patio for a while is helpful. I enjoy going to a local park where there are mallard ducks year-round. It is well known by now that being outdoors has benefits for mental and physical well-being, although that does not always make it easy to find motivation, especially when it is cold, rainy, or cloudy.
Some methods that I find work for getting motivated to go outside are to find somebody to go with you; this can make a walk or sitting out more interesting. Another method is to make some aspect of the outdoors part of a hobby, such as nature journaling or photography. And finally, there is always the use of willpower and the reminder that going out in nature is beneficial to one’s self.
The next step that I took to improve my mindset was to take the time while out in nature to observe it rather than let it pass by in the noise of daily life. This was really helpful for me. I noticed signs of spring breaking through the winter landscape as well as an awareness of the beauty of winter. I found that there was something positive to be noticed if I opened my mind up to the opportunity, whether it was the mallard duck pairs gliding along in the river or the early and brave tulips just peeking out of the soil. Even the messy and gloomy end of winter has its allure.
The Heron and Rose 