Rhythms Part 2

Rhythms Part 2

I really wanted this winter to be a quiet time of rest and focus. I don’t know if that’s going to fully work out for me, but in the meantime I want to make sure I’m doing small things to keep me on track while I rest. I want to make sure I’m getting quality sleep each night and try to get to bed earlier so I can wake up earlier to write. Since morning is the best time for me to get things done, my life coach encouraged me to make that my primary focus. That means winding down earlier, drinking sleep teas and supplements and avoiding foods and other stimulating things at night. I even got a weighted blanket. Maintaining focus in the evenings is hard and when I’m tired I’m not making the best choices, so planning what I’d like to do earlier in the day and moving into auto pilot in the evenings is helpful for me.

In the meantime I also want to inch forward with my projects. Doing things a bit at a time is better than doing nothing at all. I’m counting down the days until spring and trying to get as much sunshine the sun has to offer while using copious amounts of light therapy to get me through dark days. Am I in a type of hibernation? It feels like it, and I’m relying on hope and goal setting to propel me to finish projects during this time of year where my motivation usually wanes. If this works out I plan to do it every year. With covid restrictions forcing everyone inside again it’s discouraging to want to make future plans when you have no idea what’s coming the next week or month.

So it seems winter is the perfect time to focus on self care and the projects that are important to me so that when the warm weather returns I’ll be ready to be busy and out in the world again. The benefit of being focused and restful through the winter allows me the summer to do things outside instead of being stuck inside during bright and long days working on my projects. I’ll be able to enjoy being outside knowing that I put in the work through the winter.   

Depending on where you live you may have different kinds of seasons. You may have spring, summer, fall and winter with four major shifts like we have here in Canada or you may just have two seasons -dry and rainy . If you’re a creative it could be a good idea to take a look at how you can plan your life around these demarcation lines to see if it could help give your life more of a rhythm. 

How do you decide when it’s time to rest? What are some rhythms in your life that work for you? Do you have seasonal or daily rhythms that help you focus?