Why I am appreciating the small delights of winter and why you should too

Now that the holiday season is over, it may feel like there is nothing left to do but wait for the arrival of spring. However, winter is full of little pleasures and beauties to appreciate that shouldn’t be disregarded until warmer times come.

Outside, the scenery is a wash of powdery colours: pinks, whites, greys, blues, and sages, all held together with the soft browns of bare tree branches. The frost envelopes seedheads, barren trees, and scattered leaves, and a frosty morning is filled with a crisp, smoky smell as people wake up and warm their homes. The birds still sing, the robins even more so now than the rest of the year, singing from the pink mornings until the blue evenings. The nights are dark and cold, but promise the dawn of tomorrow.

Feel your boots crunching in the frosted ground

Making the most of the daylight hours by going on winter walks while it is still light outside is one of the best ways to enjoy winter (or at least, to stay present and alive during it). Open the window to see how cold it is and decide how many layers to put on, then leave it open to freshen up the room. Find the exposed skin by feeling the cold turn your face and fingers pink. Wrap up in woollen assortments – jumpers, gloves, hats, and scarves, trying hard to cover all bases and not let the cold get through. Feel your boots crunching in the frosted ground and make your own fog by breathing out. Go with someone else and see how far you can get before your nose turns to ice.

This is the time to embrace hobbies and creativity, or even indulge in the comfort and freedom of doing nothing

Then, when it gets dark, embrace the hushed cosiness of the indoors – decorate with piles of blankets and pillows and duvets, and wear fluffy socks and slippers. The soft smell of lotion to soothe dry skin, raw from outside, blends with the aromas of warm drinks and meals: pies, teas, hot chocolate, soup, freshly-baked biscuits, and cakes. Decorate with what you found outside on your walk; even though it’s winter, you’ll find an abundance of holly, pine discards, and twigs of berries. Fill your evenings with quiet activity by watching films, reading, or being creative. It’s far too cold to even think about going outside once it gets dark, so this is the time to embrace hobbies and creativity, or even indulge in the comfort and freedom of doing nothing.

Winter gets a bad reputation, but take inspiration from the woods – creatures hibernate and the trees are hushed. If you embrace the slow, soft pace of winter, you will be rewarded with all of its delights.