I hate winters. I have many reasons to. To mention one: the absence of mangoes. Also, not being able to have ice cream. However, even though I absolutely do not enjoy chilly winter mornings, I need to face them. I have a to-do list for winters to keep me going. Here they are:
Laugh a lot
There is so much to be sad about. It hurts to read the news every day. After a period of sadness, make sure to laugh and breathe. Even though there is so much to be sad about, laugh because we need it. Laughter is an essential part of growing. Add laughter to your busy schedule. Laugh because there are so many things to be sad about and laugh because you are breathing. Laugh because you read this article. Just make sure you laugh lots.
Make playlists
Some days, I cannot stop thinking about how there is so much art left to consume. So many songs that are unheard of and so many poems that are unread. Just so much art. Use the still winter mornings to make new playlists. Find new music. Find new artists.
Talk to the trees
Know that you are not alone. Even if you feel like sitting inside a water tank and never coming out, you are not alone. I have been there. I know people who have been there. Reaching out is one way we can get out of the bottomless pit. It is a difficult and extremely vulnerable process: reaching out. To slowly get the hang of it, talk to the trees. Whisper your secrets to them. Let them hear you. Let the leaves lend their ears to you. They will not cross-question you. They will not judge you. And, slowly, learn to talk to people around you. Get that heavy brick off your chest. Even if there is nothing big in your heart, talk to the trees about the random conspiracy theories that keep you awake at night. It will make you feel better. And less lonely.
Re-do your room
Just like us, our rooms need to be clean. Our rooms are the space we breathe in. We must keep it safe and just how we like it. Re-do your entire room to match your winter mood. Change the sheets. Change the curtains. Add warmth, add love.
Maintain a sky journal
Click photos of the sky every day, at different times. Observe the changes. Note them—journal about the minute differences. The sky is beautiful. The sky is everywhere. Own it. Personally, the sky makes me feel less alone. The idea that someone else, somewhere else, might be gazing at the same sky makes me feel better. We are all so connected. So close to each other.
Watch documentaries
It is important to learn and unlearn. Watch documentaries about things you do not know about. Make space for some new knowledge in your brain and fill it.
Write a letter to your future self
Sit. Breathe. Think of things you want your future self to know. Write a letter to your future self by clicking here.
The to-do list for winters is actually endless for me. I have so many things to do just so I can bear the rough winds. Comment things from your to-do list to make the winter of 2020 bearable!
Read also:
An Open Letter To The Girl Missing Her Sick Body
If My Destiny Was A Person
Let’s Normalize This: Saying No
