By Barbara K. Stump, MA
How many inches of snow have you experienced where you live this winter? Up north, in Traverse City, Michigan, we have accumulated 97 inches so far, and counting on more! Someone recently asked me how I was handling this harsh weather, and I told them, “I am choosing to romanticize this time of year, by just trying to enjoy the beauty all around us.” Haha, right? No really, I am trying to do so, and I guess, what better time of year to do this than in February—the month of Valentine’s Day. This may sound sappy, but Valentine’s Day is actually one of my favorite days of the year. It has been my entire life, whether I had a significant other or not.
How do you feel about winter and all of the snow? Do you like it, or are you counting the days until spring? If you are familiar with the Netflix series Gilmore Girls, then you can probably recall Lorelai Gilmore’s enthusiastic proclamation, “Smells like snow,” at the start of the first snowfall every year in her charming New England town. Her reference of snow having a scent makes me laugh a little, because I have lived in Michigan my entire life and I have never been able to find a distinct snow scent. Am I missing something?! Regardless, Lorelai displays much exuberance as she gazes up to see the magical, large, white, snowflakes floating down from the sky. She is admirable in that regard, because even when things are challenging for this single mother, she still finds this event to be something to embrace, behold, and stay optimistic by enjoying this sighting and experience.
If you are struggling with another day of winter tasks, such as shoveling the driveway, or are focusing too much on the harshness of the weather, it’s important to love yourself right now. We all need to find ways to nurture what is comforting for us to get through the hard days of winter. Whether you are single or not, it might be a great time to work on dating yourself this month. That may sound foreign to you, but dating yourself is real. In a PsychCentral article, How to Build a Healthy Relationship with Yourself Every Day, from October 14, 2022, Simone Koger, a licensed marriage and family therapist, states, “It can sound funny to have a ‘self-relationship’ because society does not teach us to have one. But, it is important to constantly be thoughtful toward your self-relationship because it affects all other aspects of your life.”
It makes sense, that when you feel good about yourself, you feel good about all other areas of your life, such as family, work, friends, etc. What are some ways you can improve your self-relationship this month? What are some winter self-date date ideas for you to try? I have listed a few suggestions below. How many if these ideas appeal to you?
- Go Out to Brunch on a Snowy Day- If there is a window seat, perhaps request it! That feeling of independence, while eating comforting foods, and with a great view is significant. Also, a confidence building skill.
- A Gratitude Walk- Bundle up and get some fresh air! I really enjoy walking my dog, but you don’t need one to take in the beauty of what is around you. Winter can be beautiful if you allow yourself to see it!
- A Morning Beverage Ritual– Get up a little earlier and make your favorite morning beverage, whatever that may be. Taking the time to really savor it, and have some peace and quiet to yourself, might be a soothing way to lean into the day and stay grounded throughout it.
- Lighting a Candle- I can’t think of a better time of the year to enjoy a candle. There’s something calming and peaceful about doing this, and there are so many scents to choose from, unlike the scent of snow—whatever that may be, I guess I’ll never know! This candle’s scent is Bubbly Rosé.
- Decorate Your Valentine’s Envelopes- Homemade cards are sweet and nostalgic this time of year, but not everyone has the time to make these. Nevertheless, you can still personalize the gesture of giving a Valentine’s Day card by decorating the envelope of a store bought card. It can be relaxing, and another way that you can allow yourself some time for mindfulness. Some ideas and materials you could use are watercolors, stickers, markers, and wax sealed stamps. Most of these supplies can be purchased at your local craft stores. I bought my wax seal stamp and wax at Hobby Lobby. It takes a little practice to master, but it’s kind of a cool retro finish to your envelopes.
Hopefully one, or more, of the above ideas may interest you, or possibly you have come up with some on your own. The idea of “romanticizing your life” in February is one way to get through these colder days. The amazing thing about the season of winter is it gives us a chance to look at the world around us with a different set of lenses. I’m not saying winter has to be your favorite season, my favorite season will always be summer—hands down. However, this is the season of your life right now, and finding ways to romanticize it, while showing some love to yourself, might help to make it more bearable. Why not give it a try? It may feel like a love letter to yourself. Everyone deserves to be loved, including you!
