Light & Movement: The French Approach to Battling The Winter Blues
While I love this time of year—the woodsmoke, the quiet of the fields, the cozy gatherings—I sometimes struggle during those darker months. When the light ends often too early, and the darkness sometimes stretches into long, unbearable blurs, I find myself feeling weighed down.
As with many, I am sure.
In the Pacific Northwest, where the rain and cloud cover can last for weeks, it was drilled into me to be on the lookout for SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), which affects a number of people in those beautiful, darker parts of the United States.
But what I’ve learned from the French is this: Even in times of darkness, you don’t have to be locked away inside.
Taking a walk or doing something that gets you out of the house is so therapeutic and such an easy way to clear your mind. Sometimes, it can even calm those anxiety monsters that like to rattle around in the brain.
But what are some other things you can do to help get through the SAD symptoms, more popularly known as The Winter Blues? The solution lies in maximizing the light you do have and embracing the warmth of indoor rituals.
1. Maximize the Morning Light Ritual
The most common advice is to get a light therapy lamp, and while those are scientifically proven and wonderful, the French method starts much simpler: it’s about making the morning light count.
- Move the Coffee Ritual: Don’t drink your coffee or tea tucked away in a dark corner. Move your favorite mug to the brightest window in your house. Sit there, fully exposed to the natural light, for at least ten minutes. Even on a gray day, this is the most valuable natural light your brain will receive.
- Embrace Sheer Linge: If you have heavy curtains, swap them out for the time being. This is the perfect season to appreciate sheer linen (your Linge Ancien). It provides privacy while diffusing the maximum amount of light across the room, ensuring you don’t feel suffocated by the darkness.
2. The Kitchen Cure: Warmth and Scent
When energy is low, our motivation to cook complex meals plummets, but the kitchen is one of your most powerful tools against the gloom. The ritual of cooking activates your senses and creates a cozy, purposeful atmosphere that darkness can’t touch.
- Bake, Don’t Boil: Instead of soup (which is wonderful but uses little scent), focus on baking your pumpkin bread or apple crumble. The scents of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves are incredibly warming and stimulate the brain, creating a powerful emotional anchor to comfort and home.
- The Single-Pot Tonic: On days when you feel truly weighed down, make a simple warming tonic. Take two cups of water, add several slices of ginger, a generous sprinkle of turmeric (a great natural anti-inflammatory), and a grind of black pepper (which helps activate the turmeric). Boil it, sweeten with honey, and sip throughout the afternoon. The warmth and spice are immediately restorative.
3. Embrace the Midday Stroll (La Balade)
Critical step to beat those winter blues! The French often stop whatever they are doing to take a walk, even if it’s brief. This isn’t exercise; it’s a mental hygiene break designed to get you outside during the peak light hours (usually 11 AM to 2 PM).
- Dress for the Walk: The Norman cold is chilling, so layer up! Treat yourself to a beautiful, oversized wool coat or scarf. The goal is to feel chic, cozy, and prepared, not miserably cold. If you feel good in what you’re wearing, you’re far more likely to go out.
- The Intentional Observation: Don’t just walk. Look down, not out. Focus on the tangible, simple beauty you discovered in your last post: the texture of the wet stones, the colors of the fallen leaves, the sound of the rain. Grounding yourself in the present moment is a natural mood boost.
The Winter Blues are real, and they are a sign that your body needs you to slow down and shift your rituals. Treat this period not as a struggle, but as a mandatory, intentional retreat. Use the light, the spice, and the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other to find your rhythm again.
Until Next Time,
Christina
