I’ve been learning about and embodying this concept of shifting with the seasons.
Spring is equated with renewal, growth, increased activity.
Summer is made for fun in the sun.
Fall is a time of shedding; slowing down, beginning to turn inward in preparation for winter.
And in winter, we bask in quiet stillness and solitude.
Yet in our culture, fall and winter are often the busiest seasons of the year. Christmas parties, holiday traditions, excessive drinking and celebrating, overindulging and overspending. We find ourselves caught up in the chaos of a busy social schedule every year and we wonder why we’re stressed, overwhelmed, and sick.
We do December wrong.
I’m not here to tell you to no longer attend a single social gathering in the month of December. No way!
I am here, however, to invite you to examine if those social gatherings are truly nourishing and fulfilling you or are they leaving you drained? Are there some you attend out of obligation/ SHOULDs and can you let them go?
Most Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) are introverted, so maybe your ability to say “no” to social outings is greater than mine. But I am one of the rare extroverted HSP unicorns who does, in fact, love spending time with others. BUT…
This time of year is begging us for introspection, for more practices of self-inquiry and solitude.
Can you do both - find alone time and still be social? Of course.
How can you slow down this season? To be clear about who and what really deserves your attention and energy?
Photograph by Hannah Sharriee