Teen Breathe Magazine – Issue 23

Winter brings many joys. Its frosty mornings reveal a glistening framework of white-tipped hedges and silvery spiderwebs; the chilly afternoons provide the best-ever reason to dig out the warmest of coats, cosiest of hats and toastiest of boots and step outside on a bracing walk; and the dark evenings… well, what better excuse to wrap up indoors with a book and some hot chocolate?

In fact, for most people, that last one can be the most tempting, as winter is a time when energy levels drop and there’s a tendency to hibernate indoors full-time until the spring returns. The downside is this can lead to increased sleepiness, which can make it difficult to relax and process anxious feelings.

Luckily, there are ways to get grounded and ease emotions on a winter’s day, including breathing exercises, focusing on the senses and visualising easy tasks. There’s even bedroom dancing (you just need to bring your full awareness to how the body moves, the way it feels and the effect it has on the mind).

Whatever the season, though, few things are more grounding than a walk in nature – if there are trees to hug en-route, all the better. So, every now and then, wrap up, don the woollies or the waterproofs and step out. And guess what? There’ll be another cast-iron opportunity for grounding when you get home as you focus on the smell, the taste and the warmth of that steaming mug of hot chocolate.