Does the thought of a cold snap make you grit your teeth? When temperatures plummet, do you find your mood plummeting as well? With a distinct chill in the air and diminishing hours of sunlight in the northern hemisphere, many people struggle with the cooler weather and the impact it has on their overall sense of well-being. Finding ways to tackle the challenges of the changing seasons can be as easy as counting to five.
EMBRACE IT! Radical acceptance is one surefire way to make the most of the weather. Don’t fight the inevitable, rather seek ways to celebrate the uniqueness of the time of year. Focusing on the joy of the present moment will allow you to be able to find those sparks of happiness. Ditch those who simply bemoan their situation and prioritize surrounding yourself with others who see the art of possibility in the chilly moments.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH. Your skin is the most important natural barrier to disease and to support your immune system. Cooler weather can include dry conditions, so make the effort to nourish your skin. While you are at it, don’t forget to get some additional Vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiencies tend to increase when there are fewer hours of sunlight and low Vitamin D is often seen as a leading cause of brittle bones, anxiety and depression.
PREPARE IN WHAT YOU WEAR. There is nothing worse than feeling a bone chilling cold that you can’t shake. Oftentimes, this is the natural result of not wearing proper clothing for the weather. Take the time to dress for the weather you have, not the weather you wish for. (Go back to the radical acceptance in No. 1 if you need further guidance.)
KEEP MOVING. Keeping exercise top of mind is vital to enjoying (yes, enjoying) the wintry weather. When you exercise, you optimize circulation and the act of exercising gives you a boost of endorphins as part of the chemical release process. Endorphins are known to alleviate depression, reduce stress and anxiety, boost self-esteem, reduce your weight and help alleviate pain responses. There are so many reasons to include movement as part of your regular routine.
CURATE YOUR ENVIRONMENT FOR COZINESS. One of the wonderful things about a cooler time of year is the opportunity to bring out cozy items. My own favorite happens to be the smell of mulled cider and all of the wonderful spices that can make a location seem alive with the fragrance of the season. Other people find Nordic chic aesthetic to be calming and simple in a hygge-centric way. Find a way to bring that comfort into where you are working and living.
With these five simple steps, an arctic chill can be positively delightful.
Lisa Beth Lentini Walker, who began contributing to CCI in 2022 as Well-Being Editor, is the CEO of Lumen Worldwide Endeavors, a firm specializing in compliance, governance and ethics consulting. She is a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) and a certified meditation and mindfulness specialist. She also is an adjunct professor of law in the U.S. and EU. Lisa Beth has led award-winning legal and compliance departments within large public corporations and privately held enterprises. She does this by strategically aligning resources to create efficiencies and advising the board of directors to further strategic initiatives while mitigating risks in all aspects of the domestic and global operations. She has held corporate secretarial, legal, compliance, ethics, governance and risk positions as an attorney at a Fortune 50 corporation, as the compliance leader of a global travel company operating in 150 countries and as the corporate secretary, chief compliance officer and co-chair of the risk council at a NYSE-listed corporation. Lisa Beth also served with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C., in the Divisions of Corporation Finance and Enforcement. Lisa Beth is a member of the Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and District of Columbia bars. She delights in the art of possibility. In her free time, she is an advisory board member to a women’s fashion startup, Alice Riot, she serves on the board of Stages Theatre (a children’s theatre) in Hopkins, Minnesota, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics and the Healthcare Compliance Association (SCCE/HCCA). Lisa Beth co-authored the book, 
