WHY I ACTUALLY LOVE THE SUN SETTING AT 4PM
The clocks have turned back an hour and with that we have entered what I like to call, hibernation season. The time of sleeping at least nine hours, making soup and eating it for six meals straight and reading books with a cup of tea while wrapped in a blanket. Although the sun setting at 4PM and the bitter cold can generate dangerous grounds for seasonal depression, I can’t help but feel a sense of delight in the coziness of the season.
I think seasonality is wonderful—the weather forces us to take on certain lifestyles and routines. In spring, we feel excited and colorful, not unlike the blooming flowers and greening grass. In summer, we feel free and fun because the warm sun and flourishing plants gives us permission to enjoy life. In the fall, we feel reflective and nostalgic as the falling leaves remind us of the temporality of all things. And, in the winter we feel sleepy and slow as everything around us freezes over and tucks away for a while. It may not be as exuberant as summer, but it is just as important. Without winter, there would be no summer, no fall, no spring.
Think about the bears that sleep while sun and food are scarce. Their bodies slow and their are bellies full, so they rest. Think about the honeybees that cluster in their nest close together by the queen, vibrating to keep warm, feeding on their honey they collected in the fall. It’s too cold and the flowers are shriveled, no longer do they go on their individual journeys into The World. Now, they gather together and relax. We, as animals too, are meant to do the same in winter. To relax together. And what a wonderful thing that is! Rest! Winter is the time for rest! We need it.
I know it can be challenging to rest. There’s always something you could be doing instead of resting. You could be studying, reading, “getting caught up.” You could even clean your room or plan your meals for next week. You could go out with friends or finally go to that club meeting you’ve been meaning to go to. You could take on a new hobby. Get a job, something that’ll look good on the resume. Apply for scholarships. You could always use those. You could go to the gym. There’s a million and one things to do. But, what about rest? What about doing nothing? Just being.
Winter is for slowing down. When the sun goes away early, the temperatures drop lower and lower until plummeting below zero, and a thin sheet of ice covers the ground. That’s how we know, it’s time to relax. No, it’s not bad that you feel sleepy at 4PM. It’s natural! We are meant to feel sleepy when the sun sets! No, it’s not bad that you just want to wear comfy clothes and do something quiet. That’s what winter is for! Embrace it! Do not suppress these natural desires just because they aren’t productive or not conducive to our efficiency-driven, productivity-focused society. Do those slow, relaxing, boring, completely unproductive things! Now is the time! And isn’t it wonderful the seasons tell us “It’s okay, it’s time to relax now. It’s time to go to sleep.”
So, every day at around 3:30 when the sky gets a bit darker and the street lamps become a bit more golden, I get a little giddy instead. It’s almost time to rest! It makes me want to listen to Christmas music or jazz and get all cozy. It makes me want to make a brothy soup and text my mom a photo with the caption “Look Mom I made soup!” It makes me want to start a puzzle, watch a documentary, drink tea with honey in it, read a million books, go to the movie theaters, go to an orchestra concert, drink a hot coffee, write a story, knit a scarf, wear a scarf, go to the spa and sleep for ten hours. Sounds like a pretty amazing life to me.
Let this be your reminder to embrace the sleepy slowness of winter. Enjoy this period of darkness for what it is: time to relax, time to reflect, time to recharge. Romanticize your winter, do things that bring you relaxation and comfort, and most importantly, give yourself permission to take a break and rest.