Lately, I’ve had a hard time finding the motivation to get everything I need to do done. All I want to do is get back in bed, hide under my covers, and mindlessly watch whatever show I’ve started binging. Now that I’m getting sick, this urge has only gotten worse. I hate feeling like this because it is a complete shift from how I was when the semester started. In the beginning, I was so excited to get a head start, get more involved, and be more productive than ever before. For the past week, I’ve been beating myself up about not keeping up this attitude like I’d planned to. I was hard on myself until I remembered Paddington. Of course, I had to sit down and watch the movie immediately, which made me start thinking about bears.
As I’m sure most of you already know, bears hibernate every winter in order to survive the harsh environment of the cold months. They don’t shame themselves for doing what they have to do in order to make it through the toughest part of the year. I think all of us need to have the same mindset. For me, February is one of the hardest months every year. It’s no longer the fun part of winter where you have holidays to look forward to and the cold weather is a refreshing change. What gets me through it every year is my birthday at the end of the month. This February though, I’ve been hard on myself for needing to take more personal time than usual. As bears understand, however, this is a crucial part of surviving the tough spots in life. I think that is so important to live by. However much you can do today is enough. Do whatever you need to do, and take as much time as you need in order to take care of yourself.
Another fact that I love about bears is that they grieve deeply for others. Although this fact is very sad, I love it; it means that they also love deeply and care about those close to them. The first thing I think we can take from this is that if you are sad, just let yourself be sad. Stop putting off your feelings until a seemingly more convenient time, feel what you need to feel to let yourself move on. The only way to truly recover from feelings is to let yourself really feel them. The other thing I think this aspect of bears can teach us is to care for those around us. Show your friends and family how much you care for them. If they are the ones going through an extra cold winter, be there to support them. Be there for them when they need someone to listen to the feelings of loss they’ve been holding onto. Do what you can to make them feel less alone during the hard season. This leads us to another example of an admirable bear trait: they care deeply about their family members. They will do whatever is necessary to protect the ones they love and we should do the same. If your friend needs you, be there for them, and show them you will always be there when they need you.
Bears are more than just cute, fuzzy animals. They are a species that can teach us about self-care and caring for others. Keep in mind through these last weeks of winter that it’s ok to need to take time to take care of yourself. You don’t need to do everything every day, just do whatever you can to make it through. Remember that there are people around who love you and would gladly be there for you, but also remember to do the same for those you love as well.