The “long winter” feeling tends to hit me at the start of January, right after the holiday joy fades, the decorations get packed up and the last Christmas cookie is eaten. This winter, I expect it to be worse than most, because there will be no trips or events to look forward to for many months. Just long, difficult days of teaching through a screen, which can be stressful, and long, quiet nights with my children who need entertaining. I am not the only one looking ahead with a measure of dread. Most experts warn that we should be bracing for a hard winter.

I write this not to be depressing, but to be realistic. Other than the inauguration, little will likely change for our country until the vaccines start to take wide effect, and that will take time. We all need to prepare for the psychological effect of that. We need to think as an animal does, preparing for winter, even if we can’t hibernate. (Wouldn’t that be nice?) Better yet, we need to think as people who live in far-north countries do, preparing for months of cold and dark. They have coping strategies, such as hygge and saunas and family time, to keep them warm.

That’s the metaphor I’ve been contemplating lately. I’m grateful to be warm enough physically, but what’s going to keep me warm emotionally? What’s going to keep me warm psychologically? Whatever it is, I need to start preparing now, so that I’m ready when the worst of it hits.

I see other people preparing in the same way. A friend of mine just got a puppy to keep her company throughout the winter. Another friend decided to cook her way through a popular cookbook. They’re tapping into the comforts of companionship and creativity to weather the winter. And I’m going to do the same.

In preparation for winter, I am:

1. Storing up many wonderful books that will suit the mood. I’m currently reading Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May. It is literally the perfect book for now. This will be a great season for reading. Ditto movies and TV shows that I haven’t yet watched (the live-action Mulan; The Great British Baking Show). Storing these up and saving them for hard times will give me something distracting when I need it most.
2. Finding ways to connect with my family. My mother and I are trading off planning for our Friday Zoom game nights with the kids. I’m also making it a goal to connect with one person outside my family every day, via text or messenger, or even sharing a funny meme. Spreading love and cheer cycles the love and cheer back to me.
3. Building in time to bake every weekend. I love baking, and I have a person to bake for: my dad. I can’t get physically close to him right now, but I can make and deliver treats that I know will bring him joy. Making treats to feed his soul feeds mine as well.
4. Making intentional habits to slow down and savor. This includes sitting down in my favorite rocking chair with a cup of tea at the end of the work day; taking naps on weekends; and taking long, slow breaths to re-orient myself into mindfulness. In a pandemic, even “one day at a time” feels like too much. Taking one hour at a time, even one minute, can help me slow down to where I need to be.
5. Working on a big project for winter that will involve the launch of a new website and teaching a class, all based on The Joyful Creative! I’m very excited about this and will be sharing more news about it soon. (If you’d like to be the first to hear more, make sure you’ve signed up for The Joyful Creative newsletter.) A creative project will encourage mental and emotional flow, and give me concrete goals to focus on.

I’m also considering a cooking project, even though my husband is typically the cook around here. This month’s issue of All Recipes magazine got me excited! And I’m planning a few treats to look forward to, like a Zoom cheese-tasting, and a coffee-of-the-month club. (Food is love.)

Share with me, if it pleases you: What will keep you warm this winter?