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Winter oppresses us when we look at it through the eyes of an adult: darkness, cold, accumulated fatigue … Children see everything completely differently. They are not depressing by a short day: after all, it is filled with carefree fun, and in the evening the joy of relaxation awaits. How can we look at winter through the eyes of a child?
Instead of winter hibernation, psychologists recommend falling back into childhood for a while to free yourself from seasonal stress.
In winter, even the usual things are difficult. The reduction of daylight hours leads to the fact that we confuse day with night: we leave the house when it is still dark, and return at dusk. The result of low air temperature can also be fatigue. But if you look at winter through the eyes of a child, the perception of this difficult season will change dramatically. Remember how kids rejoice at the first snow? They are surprised that they see a fabulous white kingdom instead of their native courtyard. Then they run outside, not afraid of frost, gather friends and with laughter sculpt a snowman, shining with a healthy blush. Children don’t care that the day is shorter in winter because it is full of games. Why don’t you remember these happy moments during the coming weekend?
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“Returning to childhood can be understood as a return to something natural, natural, that is, to the real oneself. This is especially important if an internal conflict grows, causing a feeling of loss of the path, false orientations, self-alienation, ”comments the Jungian psychoanalyst Lev Khegay.
Over the weekend, reward yourself with a trip to the park to kick off the weight of the week: go for a snowball fight, pretend to be a figure skating champion, or have a cross-country skiing competition. Just a couple of hours spent “in childhood” will relieve nervous tension and relieve the burden of daily worries.
Some adults don’t skate or go sledding because they’re afraid to look ridiculous.
“Adult life closes us the opportunity to express emotions, but it is worth trying, and you will be surprised how normal and natural it is. The fact is that stress freezes us, blocks creativity, and a person who plays is, first of all, a creative person, ”explains child psychoanalyst Anna Skavitina. It is worth asking yourself the question: “Why not, because an adult decides everything himself?” – and then (the most difficult thing) to overcome fear with an effort of will. Children or friends you trust will be the best support on the winter quest.
Lev Khegay notes that one of the meanings of childhood is a new beginning, and behind the children’s games of adults is the desire to be born again, that is, the hope for a creative renewal of life. Of course, you can arrange a “holiday of disobedience” in the summer. But in winter this is especially true: “The end of the annual cycle, the darkest time, the death of the old sun and the birth of a new one. Together with the baby Jesus, we are, as it were, born again, we find new meanings of our being, discovering in ourselves an inexhaustible source of life-affirming creativity. Therefore, winter activities are of particular importance, ”adds the psychoanalyst.
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So, winter is the best time to return to childhood. Nature itself gives us the opportunity to do so. In addition to the usual outdoor games, dozens of options for winter recreation with children or “instead of” them have appeared – from snowmobiles to dog sledding trips. What kind of black stripe can we talk about when everything around is covered with white?