Starting slow…
Humans don’t hibernate. Unlike the bear, we plow through the dark of winter attempting to maintain some kind of pace we kept up throughout the lighter parts of the year. Nevertheless, many of us who live in wintery places feel the pull of the long dark of midwinter and you’ll hear people say that they want to hibernate or that they feel tired or sluggish. It just makes sense, with more darkness, particularly in the morning, winter feels sleepy. We can respond to this pull overtly, dialing back our schedules and getting a few more winks of rest, or we can bypass our physiological inclinations and suffer the drag in whatever ways manifest for us uniquely. When I look around at the people living in my city, I think few, and mostly youthful, people experience little to no impact of winter sleepiness.
The wise among us know that those ambitious New Years’ resolutions set for the 1st or 2nd of January are practically doomed to fall off by the 20th (or the 3rd). Not only are all of us humans notorious for setting goals way outside our practical, achievable bounds in the short term, it’s not summer, and we don’t have hours and hours of daylight to go for extended runs or get in extra work or learning. It’s still dark before 5 PM, and evenings are more of the cozy low lit variety than stimulating sunshine cascading in the windows far into the end of the day. It’s not realistic, for most of us, to push hard come early January. We can begin new endeavors, but they’re more likely to take hold if aimed at habit formation rather than ramping up pace, efficiencies, or effort. We’re not ready yet, we’re sleepy. The time for switching gears will come, and if we’ve built good habits rather than trying to get there fast while stuck in turtle mode then we’re well set to amp up the energy as February arrives.
Awakening…
Creatures of the north measure the light. They respond faithfully, regardless of the temperature, to the sun. As the sun fades toward the end of the year plants and animals conserve their energy going dormant or hibernating. They know at a cellular level what they need to do. At the other end of the winter, when the light grows brighter and longer, the plants and animal emerge from their long rest. Bears emerging from hibernation experience a gradual increase in body temperature which pulls them gently into a wakeful state (this is what happens to you too every morning when you wake up naturally). Their metabolic shift out of hibernation and into a mobile state can take hours to days. For their first 1 to 3 weeks of emergence from hibernation they experience sluggishness, lethargy, stiffness and diminished strength and cognition. Sound familiar? I’ve had mornings like that. Bears are motivated out of their dens by hunger. They’ve spent months existing from the stores on their bodies and now they are craving food to replenish and fuel their energy. Their muscles are stiff from extended immobility – bears need to move, even in a clumsy disheveled way, to get going. They need to stretch and flex and take in the light to bring their bodies and brains back online.
From the bears we can learn something about mornings and we can learn something about navigating winter. Our mornings are a micro-version of emergence from hibernation. We go through a completely relatable set of physiological stages, just in a tighter timeframe and on a smaller scale. We wake up better when our bodies heat up, ideally naturally triggered by circadian rhythms. From there we need to replenish – water is a good start to the day to wake up, deliver depleted essential molecules to your body, and get your system moving. From there, we need to encourage mobility. Gentle stretches that build into more dynamic motions (like leg swings or jogging in place) encourage the whole body, including the brain, to reach wakeful active states of being. Ideally, viewing more light outside should be added to this wake-up routine. If you’re not awake after that, grab a coffee or tea and get a little chemical support.
Freshness…
If we extend the emergence analogy to February, or midwinter, we can benefit from the freshness of the year like we benefit from a supportive morning routine. The light is increasing. It’s time to wake up from the sleepiness of winter, but go gently. Add heat to your remaining winter days. Let your body remember warmth through direct applications of warmth or getting more physically active. Give your body sustenance. Water and protein are the building blocks for strength, mobility, and vitality. Make sure you’re getting what you need. Start moving more. There’s more time to be in the light. It feels more natural to get outside for a walk in the morning or evening, and with more light you’ll feel more energy that you can use to amplify workouts, fitness routines, or other physical activities. Being in February is like being in the freshness of the morning when you’ve stretched and yawned and had a glass of water and you’re ready now to dive into something with a little more focus, intention, and drive. Don’t let it pass you by! It’s a great time to start building fundamentals in an intellectual or physical pursuit. And as you do, you can watch the light grow and grow with increasing speed and warmth. If you go with the light it can carry you right into spring with bursting productivity and opportunities to explore.
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