Winter Wellness & Challenging Comfort #growwithMe

Dear friends, 

It’s five weeks until the end of 2024, and since getting back from Toronto a few weeks ago, I’ve been feeling those fall and winter vibes: pulling plush crew socks over high-rise leggings and oversized sweaters, nourishing soups, turning on my heated steering wheel on the drive to and from work, deliberately choosing covered parking to avoid the chill of the West Coast rain. 

As we head into winter I’m seeking comfort, but as I type this I’m thinking comfort is where dreams go to die (sounds dramatic, I know). But, how many of us in choosing the comfortable option, do so at the expense of our wellness? Choosing the comfortable option in the present may lead to an uncomfortable future reality. That said, you also do not need to live a miserable existence and suffer simply in the name of wellness or pursuing your dreams. Here’s what I’m doing to push my comfort zone while embracing the season and  my current vibes: 

1. Movement

I think we can all agree that it’s harder to get moving and be active in the winter, especially if you are not into winter sports. On the West Coast, winters are damp and unless you have a dog or take public transportation, a daily walk is probably not your go-to way to get moving. There’s also something about the cooler weather and darker days that makes movement feel less natural. Even moving indoors seems to require a more conscious effort. If you are waiting for motivation to move in the winter, you’re doing it wrong. 

As a former fitness coach, my advice is you have to make working out and moving your body a regular part of your routine. You must be disciplined, not motivated, and even more so in the winter. I built working out into my weekly habits years ago, and for me, it’s become a non-negotiable. Over the years and seasons, the specific ways I get movement have shifted and changed. Right now, I’m still feeling HUSTL. and quite honestly having five workouts a week already picked out for me helps with sticking to the plan of hitting 4-5 days a week. I also like that I don’t have to leave my house (yay comfort!), but a lot of the workouts are HARD and I feel challenged doing them (discomfort). For you, maybe it looks like hitting up a drop-in fitness class or joining a studio to be a little more social. What’s important is to commit to the days, and do them, whether you feel motivated or not. You might not feel like getting moving, but you also won’t feel regret that you did it anyway. 

2. Eating Nutritious, Satisfying Foods. 

Okay let’s get real, winter is the ultimate season for comfort foods. It’s a perfect recipe with colder weather leading into the holidays. I have a long list of favourite winter comfort foods and a sweet tooth. A lot of these foods aren’t necessarily going to leave me nourished and satisfied, but they do leave me wanting more… If you’re overeating on these comfort foods, you’re most likely contributing to that sluggish feeling hindering your desire to move or be productive this winter. 

I’m not going to tell you to avoid comfort foods and holiday favourites altogether. This month I’ve enjoyed more than a couple of “dirty Domino’s” nights, leftover Halloween candy, and office treats. I’ve also been asking myself: why am I craving these comfort foods, and is there something else my body needs even more?

Enter soups:

For years, I was hardcore “not a soup person”. I hated the idea of soup and could not see it as a satisfying meal. This did not change for me overnight. It’s been at least a few years of gradually increasing the types of soups I feel are “acceptable”. This year is the first year I’ve truly embraced soups as a satisfying and comforting option. Soups are also versatile. My favourite thing right now is to take a bone broth or organic ramen noodle pack and add in a bunch of chopped veggies or greens (think carrots, kale, rainbow chard, zucchini), and for protein, I add tofu, chicken, or turkey. I’ve found the warmth of the soup to meet that desire for comfort food and the add-ins to make the bowl both nourishing and satisfying.

Soup might not be your thing, but I encourage you to explore how you might satisfy comfort food cravings in a different way that meets what your body is truly craving. 

3. Take Action Towards Your Goals

Whether it’s work, wellness, or personal related, this time of year is at risk of “I’ll get to it next year”. If you work with a team you probably know this phenomenon all too well, December is the worst time to try to push any kind of new initiative or get anything done if it’s not related to wrapping up the current year. Most of us do the same thing with our health, wellness, fitness, and personal goals. We tell ourselves we’ll start better habits in January, we just have to get through the remainder of this year and the holiday season. I’ve been guilty of this type of thinking. It’s easy to feel like you’ll start the next day, next week, next month or next year, especially if you’re not on track in the present.

At the beginning of this post, I noted there are five weeks left in the year. Ask yourself: how much further ahead would I be in five weeks if I started the thing today? Yes, it might be a bit uncomfortable in the present moment, but also ask yourself: how will the me in five weeks feel if I’ve been doing the thing, versus if I hadn’t started? Chances are that the you who did the thing is more comfortable in the future than the you who didn’t. You don’t have to do all the things, but maybe pick one or two that you are going to start now and take action on them consistently until the end of the year. For me, getting this post up (instead of binge watching TV) was one of my things :) 

Keep going friends <3