For many years I have tried to reframe my feelings of the months that I grew up experiencing as winter. I’ve heard other people who grew up in the northern hemisphere, but now live here in Australia, express similar feelings. We always feel out of step with Northern traditions that are seasonally based and from which we see iconic images based in the Northern seasons. After all, I spent 30 years having a cold Christmas, plus a few more reinfections on visits since then. After 38 years in some of the hottest places in Australia, my body and psyche still can’t quite connect the months with the weather and traditions. Or is that what is really going on?
I remember that first Christmas in sub-tropical Darwin, standing around a pool in 33C (91F) heat and 70% humidity, searching for a bit of shade and talking to people who were still strangers to me. And there was alcohol, lots and lots of it! We never even had a glass of wine for Christmas when I was growing up, so the whole thing just seemed wrong…sunburn, strangers and beer!
But Christmas and the idiosyncratic northern traditional decorations placed in the sunny, southern environment have been the least of my concerns over the decades since that first year. What I have repeatedly noticed is a desire to hibernate during these months. I get my chores done in the cooler part of the day and during the 100+F heated afternoons, I darken the shades and try to stay cool inside the house. Even better if I can nap…and read…and not do anything very energetic. And lately I find I don’t even want to eat very much, and certainly not cook!!
My most recent discovery as I nap and read, has been the book ‘Wintering: the power of rest and retreat in difficult times’ by Katherine May. It has been enlightening about what constitutes Winter and the traditions of wintering which are also restorative measures, some even suggestions you might get from a good friend. The author is not judgemental, and in fact is quite self deprecating, but generous in sharing what she has learned.
The one thing she did not exactly address is for someone transplanted, in a completely different climate and place who cannot seem to transition to the local seasonal differences. Sometimes exotic plants can survive seemingly hostile environments, so why not me? At times I’ve wondered if I might have to surrender and leave this hot arid place. But each time we have a break and I come back to the place we have lived for 29 years, I’m so glad to be here that I put all thoughts of leaving to the back of my mind. Most recently as we flew back into Alice after Christmas in Adelaide, I looked out the airplane window at the heat haze and the half moon and recognised the beauty I now know as home.
Just as I began writing about Wintering, another theory dovetailed into the mix of thoughts–this one from a podcast. Charlie Gilkey (The Good Life Project podcast) is an expert at coaching people. He says we all have ‘seasons’ of varying productivity levels. For him summer is his ‘stupefication season’.—meaning, low productivity, low focus, depressive even. It was a true revelation because it is the same for me, but I thought I was the only one. For years I’ve noticed all I want to do in summer is hibernate. I have been thinking it was something about longing for the winter I grew up with, but I now realise, it is more about where I am now. The intense heat depletes me. I have recognised that the decluttering project in which I’m currently engrossed, seems to fit perfectly into the energy level and mental attention I have for things right now. And that is what Charlie recommends too, fit your activities to your seasonal levels, however they work for you. It kind of makes sense on a very practical level–while I’m inside so much in the summer (perhaps you in the winter) to have an activity that requires me to be inside and that is imminently flexible. I can do a lot or a little and organise things any way I want them in any given day! Yay!
Gilkey further talked about people having circadian rhythms throughout the day, which I already knew about for the physical body, but they apply to the mental processes as well. We can benefit from recognising and planning around these on a daily practice. People like me who are ‘larks’ and have the most energy in the morning are best to do things that require focus between the hours of 7am and 1pm. I’ll have to work on that one. I should be doing my art work then, but I do all my other jobs then, which means the art I produce in the afternoons is probably wanting for better attention. Of course this isn’t always possible because Life gets in the way, but he also says you can account for that in whatever schedule you try to set up. I’m not so much into ‘schedules’ at this stage of life, but I am mindful of energy levels and patterns and try to work with them. You can allow for some mornings to be taken with other things, but in those afternoons when you may not be as sharp, you could ready your materials for the next morning session. He also suggests whenever your ‘stupefaction season’ is, to try and do less. In the six weeks or so since piecing May’s Wintering ideas together with Gilkey’s rhythms in life, I’ve felt more at ease and, strangely, been happier and more productive with the very selective goals I’ve identified.
Doing less and relaxing about it is my new approach for this time of year. If that isn’t ‘Wintering’ and practicing rest and retreat in troubling times, I don’t know what is. This is my new way of summering.
(Apologies to both May and Gilkey for overlaying their ideas, if this is offensive. It has been so helpful to me and I wanted to share…)
First, I love the colors in your painting! And how very interesting that, even after all these years in the southern hemisphere, you still feel that way about the seasons. It’s easy for me to understand the desire to hibernate in the summer heat. I find I’m always most productive in the less-extreme seasons of spring and fall — moderate temperatures and a feeling of change that seems to stimulate my brain to get things done.
Putting Katherine May’s book on my list — thanks for that.
LikeLike
Thank you so much Kim! Those are the colours of this place, at least to my eyes. I’m glad you could relate to my mental and verbal meanderings. Wintering really is an interesting read, and I like May’s style of writing so I will be looking for other books she has written. Keep well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh Ardys – I have just read your ‘winter’s tale’ for the first but certainly not the last time. Relate ! Since I arrived in Sydney post WWII as a 13-year-old just in time for Yule ! Because of the war had barely been to school . . . I can remember Schweppes ‘Orange Drink’ ’cause had not had anything like that in war-torn Europe. Remember Mom’s tears ’cause she could not buy one item related to Northern European Christmases and the shopkeepers thought she was ‘slow’ not speaking English. Remember some elderly Lawn Bowls playing gentlemen coming to invite me over for a ‘milkshake’ whatever that was !!! ‘And, where do you come from, DEAR ?’ ‘Oh, Estonia’ ‘Where DEAR ?’ ‘Estonia’ ‘What did she say? She’s making it up, poor dear !” ‘Europe’ ‘Europe ?” ‘Is that anywhere near England . . . Well, at least ‘she’ comes from somewhere civilized then . . . ‘ That was continuously the same for years . . . ‘D’you have cars in your country?’ ‘Do you have doctors . . . not witches, ugh, real doctors ?”
And, being way ahead in schooling in spite of only three years’ camp tuition . . . when I got 100% in a biology exam a few months later my Dad and virtually the police were called in because ‘the little bitch must have cheated . . . we just cannot find out how !!!’ Methinks the summer temps may not have fazed . . . the first few months surely did . . . my local absolutely shocked greatuncle just took me to Taronga Park zoo every weekend to get me to smile . . . don’t know how many cups of tea he had whilst I took all my troubles to the monkey cages . . . they always seemed to stretch their paws out for hugs . . . we’d have our ‘discussion’ and leave stuff until next week until the locals kinda woke up . . . *laughter* A wee bit of a different summer-scape to you . . .
I adore my current winterscape in the Southern Highlands of NSW . . . in spite of widespread travels around the world have always been back for a summer Yule here . . . love it, especially when autumn begins showing in the leaves and I need a sheet atop me at night . . .
LikeLike
Our lives and proclivities are so complex, without adding in a change of country and climate! I can imagine your life was a mystery at times. Mine was, even as a child because all the world is new and mysterious! It is a glorious ‘autumnal’ day here with very mild temps and it is such a refreshing change, especially for February. Best to you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You always find the right words to help me understand what I’ve been mindlessly thinking and doing, and to approach it more mindfully. Christmas to me has always been hot but I so see the appeal of a white or crisp Christmas, and love when cooler, rainy weather graces the festive season, and I roast a hot, aromatic Christmas dinner rather than prepare cold salad fare.
What is the saying… only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun… but I imagine English midday sun mostly would be like a winter’s day here, quite welcome but our summer heat should be managed just as you describe. Early morning productivity followed by post-lunch hibernation… under a fan and sometimes aircon, a book or creative project until a late afternoon breeze comes up the river and the sun drops.
January and February, for me, is the best time for taking time out, regrouping and planning the possibilities of the coming year which by my personal timetable begins in March.
I’m so glad your heart recognised your adopted place… The Alice translated beautifully by your hand.
LikeLike
Thank you for your generous comment, Dale. I’m really fascinated now to hear if other people struggle with this seasonal adjustment. And thank you for the comment about my art. This was a benchmark piece, an achievement in a looser style but still evocative of landscape. I’m getting there! Enjoy the rest of your restorative time. x
LikeLike
Enjoyed your summer/wintering view. Today I enjoyed one of several mini-parties for birthday 83. How many days? 365 x 83!* Still mobile and in good 😊 health! (Thanks to Seiko ) I enjoy keeping up on your family doings down under! Best to you and your family from US in the USA! Mel (:Gus Bailey : also asked me to also send you a “ shout out “from Nashville! Mel83
Sent from my iPhone
>
LikeLike
Flying into Alice is a marvelous photo. MeL
Sent from my iPhone
>
LikeLike
Suggest a book. “The World Viewed By An Ardys “ and I am serious. MeL
Sent from my iPhone
>
LikeLike