Why winter improves my mood.
Sometimes I don’t feel like I’m a very good Australian. We are meant to love the sun, the surf, and the outdoors, but none of these things work very well for me. When exposed to the sun, my skin is the type that that instantly turns red, burns, and then peels off! I don’t like to be hot, I don’t enjoy sweating, and I hate the humidity that summer brings.
I’ll always prefer those bright, crisp, winter days we get here in Sydney. Where the sun glows softly, the breeze blows gently and everything just feels calmer. You can move out and about, it’s less frenetic and there seems to be a more peaceful atmosphere.
I have to admit I do run hot, so I’m often found wearing shorts and short sleeves right up until the middle of June. Due to this, I also love the fact that when you’re cold you can do something about it! You can put on a jumper, you can get under the doona, or you can sit in front of the fire and warm up. On the other hand, when it’s hot outside, it’s very hard to cool down!
But now that I’ve mentioned doonas, there is nothing better than the comfort of snuggling up in your doona on a cold winter’s eve and just letting it embrace you. It takes me back to childhood memories: cosy evenings with a cup of cocoa, sitting around the fire all snug in my flannelette PJ‘s. Winter is the season that I remember good times from the past.
With less distractions outside in winter, it seems that people are more open to real and genuine conversations. There’s something about gathering together and insulating ourselves against the elements that promotes sharing and real connection. We stop “doing” together and start “being together”. As a person who likes to relate, this is probably my favourite thing about winter.
So the next time you walk outside on a bright, crisp day – stop, breathe, and think of all the lovely things that winter brings. It certainly brings great things for me.
This piece was written by one of the ICLA eFriend Peer Support Workers. eFriend is an online platform where you can connect with a trained peer support worker whom has their own lived experience of feeling lonely, isolated, stressed or worried. You can speak to your eFriend Peer via video or phone call. Your eFriend Peer will listen, validate and provide hope. If you like, they can also assist you to identify any other services you may like to try or help you create plans to improve your personal well-being. Or they can simply listen.
To book your first call visit: https://my.efriend.org.au/preregistration/