A snowy day is the perfect time to relax, unwind and take care of our health (assuming it happily falls on the weekend, of course).  I revel in days like this, look forward to them.  I read more, rest more and love spending time in the kitchen making healthy dishes.

But it wasn’t that many years ago that I would dread when it snowed. I remember it was back in the 90s when I lived on a narrow street in New Haven. There was so much snow that I just couldn’t park that close to the curb and one day someone took off my side view mirror because I was parked so far in the street. That sealed the deal for me with regard to wintertime and snow — I HATED it.

But that was before I realized that having a snow day is like a free pass to relax and take care of myself, especially for someone like myself who tends to be anxious and have to much on her plate. I know, you’re probably thinking, why not create your own snow day, even when it’s not snowing. But of course, that’s easier said than done, isn’t it?!

That’s why I was so excited for yesterday’s storm.  I tuned into more than one channel that promised we’d have a nice bounty — 3-6 inches on some channels, 5-10 on others.  The prospect of all that snow was exciting and I busily got myself ready to settle in last night and today for the kind of snow where staying home, watching movies and sipping hot chocolate are pre-requisites.

Think about it — when it snows, everything slows down and gets more quiet.  And that in turn, lends itself perfectly to rest and relaxation and less of the harried pace I find myself in. It really does support self-care, slowing down tuning — all aspects of great health.  And was the perfect antidote for a too busy past week which had me juggling multiple priorities.

The only thing is, all that snow they promised, hardly materialized. We’re lucky if we got two inches. No digging to get out today, no freezing fingers from shoveling, no huge snow drifts blowing in my face. They came and plowed early and the streets were pretty clear. So much for my dreamy winter wonderland!

Despite my dashed hopes for a big storm (which of course never seems so great once you have to navigate boots, shoveling and parking cars), I still reaped some of the benefits and relaxed more than usual.

What about you? Is a snowstorm more or less of an opportunity for you to relax and unwind?

Filed under: Optimal Health, Self-care, Slowing Down, Winter