Why it's NOT going to be a long winter.

“It’s gonna be a looooong winter”.

You’ve probably had people around you saying this or a version of it as the weather has turned in the last couple of weeks. I’m want to share with you the reasons why I’m not buying it.

Winter is always a pain in the backside. In normal years, I have my main sunshine holiday of the year in December or January, as a way of injecting some light and vitamin D into the midst of the darkness. I’ve suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) over the last few years, and winter has always been the time I’ve struggled with my mental health and bouts of depression. So it’s fair to say I’m not a fan.

But do you know what? This winter will be the same length it always is. And it’ll feel as long as you choose to make it feel. You’re a grown up with some autonomy, so you have a choice: downbeat resignation or optimistic, practical and making-the-best-of-it.

So let’s go.

You will definitely not be doing some of the things you do in a normal, ‘short’ winter. There’ll be much less travel, much less live theatre or music, fewer family gatherings. You might be locked down or isolated. You might have your movements restricted. Beyond that, the rest is really up to you. Here are three things I’m thinking about that make me excited for this winter.

The first is the mental gymnastics I use to get me through every winter and it revolves around a simple date. The 21st December. The winter solstice. After the solstice, the nights get shorter and the days get longer. Living in Brighton, we usually bring in the solstice in spectacular fashion, with a big community event called Burning the Clocks. It’s like a festival of light in the midst of the darkness. Samba bands beat away the darkness, people carry beautiful homemade paper lanterns through the streets. The air becomes electric in the early evening gloom.

It’s a time to reflect and remember the year: people ‘let go’ of what’s written on their lanterns as they’re burned on the fire and the organisers read out a list of people who have passed that year, and of course everyone warms themselves up with hot toddies). To me, it’s what Christmas should be like (outdoors, community, deep reflection, joy – and not a single piece of consumerism in sight). From that solstice moment, the days get longer. From that moment, we are heading back in the right direction. Solstice, as it has been for millions of people for thousands of years, is a stake in the ground that makes November, December, January and February bearable.

The second thing is gratitude. I have a roof over my head, a beautiful son, enough food, engaging work, the internet (imagine telling any of your ancestors that you had an unlimited supply of music that could stream into your house, or that you could answer any question in the world…), a sense of purpose, good people around me. I’m alive. I’m alive now - in what is, despite every effort of the news channels to grab your attention to say otherwise, the safest, most stable, healthiest time to be a human in our history. That’s not to deny any of the worlds’ problems, but it’s worth remembering.

But yes, this year is different. And despite finding winter tough in regular years, reason three is why I’m choosing not to buy into the extra-gloom-mongers this time around.

I’m looking at 2021. I’m imagining a time where I have the option to be outside with friends or go to a music festival. It promises to be a summer filled with optimism and celebration. And I’m thinking about my list of projects at that time. I’m imagining this conversation between the future-me and the current one.

Future me: “Oh, I’d love to be spending the weekend at that festival, but I’m so busy at the moment. I can’t be too tired on Monday with everything I’ve got to do, so I don’t think I’ll go after all”.

Current me: “What are you so busy with?”

Future me: “I’ve got this book to finish. And I need to be making progress on the product revamp, there’s loads to do around the house, I’ve got to update my will which I’ve been putting off to years, there’s painting… the list goes on! But I really want to go. It’s so stressful.”

Current me: “Well, I’d really like you - my future me! - to be at that festival too. So how about I just do all those things for you? There you go…. They’re done! You have nothing to feel guilty about now.”

Future me: “That’s amazing, thank you so much!”

So stop looking at your 2020 projects list. Start looking at your 2021 projects list. What can you bring forward? What can you get ahead on?

All those things you always decide against starting because you won’t have the time? Now’s the time! And far from being wedded to the idea that it’s a cult of production, you could take the time for a winter of consumption instead: read novels, take online courses, learn to just sit quietly again, plant some seeds for the future.

When the time comes to celebrate the end of all this – and that time will come – you’re going to want to be ready.

Happy November! THIS is the week to get started. Embrace it.