When your needs change with the seasons
Dear Witchy Writer,
The nights are long right now. The midpoint between autumn and winter is long past. Daylight Savings has started, and now the days are shorter and shorter and the nights longer and longer. And I find the whole rhythm of my life changing. I need more sleep now. I need heartier food. I need more alone time to read and craft and think.
I hate the cold. It makes my whole body tense up, and so I need more warmth now, too. More blankets, heating pads, and hot cups of tea. I need more light. I need my cozy corners to settle into and create a nest of books and games.
This is so different from what I need during the bright days of summer. In summer, I crave the outdoors, hiking, playing, and tending to the wild woods around my home. I also love lounging outside under the bright sun, where my body soaks up the sun like a battery soaks up charge.
I always forget how my needs change with the seasons. During this past summer I got into a solid routine of work and fun family time. I settled into how each of the hours of the day would go. I got used to my routine, and then autumn came, and slowly but surely my routine needed to change.
But it took me a while to catch up to that. At first I kept going like it was summer, but then I found myself in a state of exhaustion, sleep deprivation, and under-nutrition both physically and spiritually. Eventually, I picked up on what was going on. I did an hour or so of reflection and dreaming about the best routine for me now, while letting go of the routine that was best for me a couple months ago.
Now my days must include a nap, or I don’t make it through without getting really cranky at my husband. Since I’m not going outside as much, I’ve started riding the indoor cycle again. I’m carving out reading time in the evenings, making sure to do my usual evening chores earlier in the day. I’ve started drinking hot tea again - Ginger Licorice being my favorite right now.
And slowly but surely I’m feeling better in my body, mind, and soul. I’m not as active for as many hours of the day, but I feel well and whole and vibrant again.
This is a lesson I’m continuously learning. I’ll probably settle into this routine, and it will take a few weeks into spring to realize I need to change everything again. But that’s ok. The important thing is to accept that our needs do change. They change with the seasons, with age, with the phase of life we’re in, and with whatever is going on in our lives right now.
Something that helps me is to do regular self-reflection rituals. On Saturday or Sunday mornings, I’ll ask myself questions, pull oracle cards, and journal about how I feel. With this practice I always eventually see my needs and do what I need to do to shift things around, even just a little bit, so I can feel well in my life.
If you want to try a ritual like this, here are some great questions to ask:
Who have I been?
Who am I now?
Who am I becoming?
Tapping into this self-awareness can help you see what’s happening in your life, so you can make the changes you need when you need to. And if you can’t upend your whole life right now. Instead, try making one tiny shift. Give yourself 5 minutes to eat nourishing food, move your body, breathe, think, read, or create.
Emma
Disclaimer: This blog is a resource guide for educational and informational purposes only and should not take the place of hiring a life coach, a therapist, or of seeking medical attention. No information on this blog creates a coach-client relationship between us. You are fully responsible for the decisions and actions you take in regard to your life and affairs.