About this time of year, every year, I swear I have grizzly bear blood. I want to hibernate. I shuffle around in a mental haze, (swinging my head back and forth). I feel dispirited and draggy, or edgy and mean as a mama grizzly bear. It’s a confluence of factors: living at northern latitudes means the days are short. The skies are largely overcast as well. It’s chilly and damp. And then daylight savings time gets thrown in. That makes getting up in the morning a little easier, but it’s dark by 4:30 pm.
I know it doesn’t happen suddenly – the days get shorter in a measured manner, beginning way back at the end of July. But somehow in November it’s dark and I’m suddenly the emotional equivalent of my grizzly ancestors. That said, I thought I would share my 4 steps to calm your inner grizzly.
Step One: Let ‘er roar! If that anxious, edgy, short-tempered feeling is upon you, give it an outlet! Anything physical requiring movement of the hands and feet is good for releasing frustration/anger/the I’m-gonna-rip-somebody’s-head-off feeling. Basketball, running, tennis, pillow-thumping. My fall-back is all-out housecleaning – especially bathrooms and floors. The things that take extra elbow grease. The ones that don’t need precision, just a lot of bold moves. For a few minutes this weekend, you could have eaten off my floors…
Step Two: Hibernate. No. Not full-out. I know your life won’t let you do that anymore than mine will. So do the next best thing. Take little pockets of down-time whenever you can. Whether it’s sleeping or sitting curled up in a cozy spot, the keys to this are QUIET and SPACE. Meaning, you can’t need to converse and be friendly during this time. Likewise, e-mail and checking FaceBook are off-limits. Reading is marginal. This is regenerating time. Soak-up-the-hibernation-vibes time. Peace and quiet time.
Step Three: Seek Grizzly Nirvana. Now is the time for plenty of pleasure. Stay warm. Enjoy hot water, inside and out. Use your long johns and your wooly socks. Get some body work if you can. Do things that make you happy. This is where the reading and movies come in for me. Eat healthy, nourishing, hearty foods. Everyone has their own dietary design, but for me this means hearty stews, root vegetables, warm, filling “yang” foods. (Versus “yin” summer food, like salads and fruits). Eat with attention, stop when you are full. This time of year it’s easy for me to start feeding my mouth for various needs instead of just physical hunger. If you struggle with food issues, my friend Meryl Hershey Beck has an amazing book & workbook just for you. Visit stopeatingyourheartout.com.
Step Four: Choose Your Den Mates. At a time of year when tempers can run short, you need to be around tolerant, loving people. Think about a grizzly den. Nobody gets upset if Mama Bear farts. If they do and she isn’t asleep, guess who gets to leave the den? Not Mama! Seek people who will welcome you in all your splendor, all your colors. This is not the time to try to make new friends and influence people unless that’s what you LOVE to do. But DO seek the people who feel like “home.” Warmth is not just physical.
Coach’s Challenge: My challenge this week is to follow my own advice. Grrrr… :>) I’ll let you know how it goes… If you are growling, restlessly swinging your head to and fro, sharpening your claws and bellowing, you might consider following it as well!
Want to use this article? Great! Just please include the following:
