As the summer vacation comes to a full close, the sun and all the outdoor fun seems to go with it. There are no longer the invitations of those garden barbeques or picnics by the lakes, meeting with friends in open air bar gardens, the outdoor sports lessen and people tend to hit those gyms instead – if they can actually work their way to venture out the house again after getting in from the cold outdoors. Who can blame anyone with those early, dark evenings and everything looking dull and miserable.
The ease of light summer clothing goes out and in comes the start of all those layers that we start to pile on throughout the winter. The house heating goes on at some point of desperation for most, fighting to the end in avoidance of admitting the winter finally arrives. Some adapt and handle all this change really well, while others struggle to take on this new restructure of time due to weather conditions and what actions it allows comfortably.
So, okay it may not be practical or pleasing to say, play a game of cricket, soccer, tennis or beach volleyball. It is not an excuse and does not mean hang up those football boots for the whole year, it just means temporarily finding other different sports and strengthening exercises that will help benefit that soccer when the outdoor soccer season starts up again. Utilize the winter months to the maximum in whatever way it suits you to get the best in all you do. In the winter, gyms and sports halls can be used for physical exercise; from yoga, meditation, to martial arts; in the summer all this can be done outside which is great, as I personally would avoid being indoors for sure as doing any physical or even any class indoors just frustrates me when I could instead be out in the fresh open air.
Find winter projects to do that keep you active and can give you satisfaction at the same time. Indoor projects, be it decorating, reorganizing furniture, changing or clearing out cupboards etc can be active. That old spring cleaning can be the new winter cleaning, switching from minimum effort cool summer recipes to hot winter warmer recipes that may take longer to do, doesn’t seem so bad in the winter, as we are not all working with those hot stoves for too long getting all hot and flustered.
Finding some old creative hobbies or seeking some new ones to experience can be great for the mind as well as dexterity in all. There are so many things from cookery, sewing, restoration projects of virtually anything, arts, crafts, reading, watching an educational box set, learning a new skill or even a language, it is all good for the soul.
Finding winter sports and exercise to keep up that physical fitness in the winter is important, finding winter projects and activities, be it singing or dancing those nights away, sharing this time also with friends of the same interest is also good for calming and relaxing of the mind and is good for the soul.
Create your own winter wonderland!
Love and Sparkles
Samara x
www.samsarabellydancer.co.uk
Facebook: Samsara Kyriakou