I hate winter

I actually hate a lot of things, and for the most part, the reasoning behind this growing enmity doesn't make any sense. Case in point, we can take my genuine, longstanding and passionate hatred of backpacks. In so many situations a backpack is the most practical bag. I know this, and my aversion is absolutely and completely illogical. For school, Uni or a sports bag, most people would think: backpack. Its easy, fits everything, the weight is evenly distributed so you don't have to constantly swap which shoulder you carry it on, or even better one shoulder doesn't become lopsided from constantly being weightbearing - which yes, did happen to me.

But despite their logic, I hate them. I really, really do.

I hated having to use one for school, I felt like a turtle. I hate how much space they take up on public transport, and the ease as which you can accidently whack someone with them at any wrong turn, I hate having to find something that's fallen to the bottom and more than anything, the art of getting a backpack to look good with an outfit is a skill I do not have. So, I will be stuck with my lopsided shoulders and bags that in no way fit everything I need on the daily.

Am I inconveniencing myself greatly?

Yes.

Will I be swayed?

No.

While my backpack hatred is prominent I like to think of myself as a generally positive person, but lately I seem to have developed a distaste for far too many things. It feels as though I am existing with an unconscious persistence to find faults in my life, my habits, or my surroundings, and more than that, I feel the urge to fix them. I've found myself nitpicking at normally inconsequential acts and the number of things that I cant stand is becoming ridiculous. Whether it stems from a dislike of a thing itself, the reaction of others that it insights or the feelings that arise within myself when I encounter them, the list is growing but it must stop. Its exhausting, and especially unnecessary as we all try to enjoy our last moments of warmth before winter settles in.

Even without my negativity, Melbs is getting miserable again. Temperatures are dropping, days are shortening, the sun has disappeared. Grey swallows the city skyline and the relentlessly sunny days we berated summer for drift further and further away. Yes, the cooler months definitely have there benefits. It becomes a necessity to find comfort and warmth. There is a lessening in the conditioned guilt we sometimes feel for slowing down and taking rest now that the weather seems to enforce it, and it can be a blessing for baggy, oversized and warm clothing to be weather permitting and widely normalized. But for myself and for so many others, Winter is a dreaded time of year, associate only with harsh temperatures and even harsher emotions.

Commonly known as Seasonal Depression, or more casually the "winter blues" Seasonal Affective Disorder effects around 35% of Australians. The reduced daylight hours alongside Melbourne's cold, grey and often wet autumn and winter seasons generally lead to more time spent indoors, hindering our serotonin and melatonin production, going on to take a negative toll on mood and sleep. Many of us may experience lower moods, irritability, poor energy levels and a diminished interest in activities we previously enjoyed. All of which, I believe has been contributing to my uptick of negativity - because I actually don't hate the world and everything in it. So rather than focus on of all the things I've now got deep hatred for, here is a list of things that I love to practice so I don't become unbearable when the weather does, because I truly do love a whole lot more than I hate.

1. Hot Mat Pilates

   Combining the core principles of Pilates with a warm room, Hot Mat is the perfect winter escape to move your body and quiet your mind. With so many things going on, focusing on breath, balance, control and coordination, Pilates has become one of the only times where my brain truly switches off from my life. Its only me on the mat, and everything else is quiet for 45 minutes. It has to be this way, because truly, If I were to focus on anything else, I would fall over. So we take that Mind Body connection, and add the benefits of a heated space.

   
   

   The typical 35 degrees of a hot mat room aids in quickly warming our muscles, assisting in deeper stretches and accessing a greater range of motion, allowing you to push further in your classes, benefiting strength and flexibility. I hear you, 35 degrees is hot and hot means were gonna get sweaty - I know, not particularly glamorous but by golly, that sweat has so. many. benefits.

   
   

   Fundamentally sweating serves as the bodies primary cooling system. When your brain senses your internal body temperature rising, it signals the exocrine glands to release moisture, coming off as sweat. The cooling doesn't come from the sweat itself, but when it evaporates off your skin. As it changes states from a liquid to a gas using the energy given off by the heat of your body, in a process known as evaporative cooling. Alongside sweating, when in hot temperatures vasodilation - widening of the blood vessels- occurs in the skin, and the heart works to direct warm blood away from your center, routing it to the surface of the skin where that heat may escape. In hot mat the heart must work harder in effort to cool the body while in a space that gets progressively hotter as you move through high repetition excercises, resulting in increased heart rate and offering the benefits of intense aerobic activity, without high joint loading. Supporting endurance and cardiovascular health, two crucial elements that support our physical functionality and longevity.

   
   

   If I haven't already convinced you, as an added little bonus, sweating during a hot class can trigger the release of endorphins - our happy hormones - kicking those winter blues to the curb on a chemical level. So yeah, its absolutely time to get your butt into a hot class.

   
   

2. Infrared Sauna

   I think I'm convinced I can sweat out all my problems. Sure its probably - definitely - not true, but I'm more than willing to test that theory, and with ideal temperatures for an Infrared sauna session sitting between 45-60 degrees, the sweaty benefits we've already discussed intensify. However, as strong as my support of sweat is, my specific love of an infrared sauna goes beyond just the heat. Unlike a traditional sauna, which I can never seem to stay in for longer than 15 minutes, Infrared saunas give off light or "radiated heat" that cannot be seen by the naked eye. It absorbs deep into the skin, our muscles and cells, heating your body rather than the air around you to promote deep relaxation, muscle recovery and detoxification. You best believe my infrared love only grows in winter when sunny days become scant, as infrared light provides the same benefits of boosting cellular regeneration, reducing inflammation and stimulating sub-cellular melatonin production that time in the sun would otherwise offer and does all this without the accompanying UV damage.

   
   

3. Routine + Sleep

   If you were to unpack my weeks, the best way to do it would be via my calendar. Colour coordinated and detailing pretty much everything I do, you'd get a read for my entire life. More than anything you'd be seeing lots and lots of purple blocks. My non-negotiables and reoccurring events that either happen every day, every week, or even every month, mixed in with the pinks and blues of doctors appointments and deadlines. Beyond just the pretty colours, If you were to really study that thing, you'd probably also notice that very rarely is any event in my calendar scheduled beyond 10pm, because when it comes to me the two things I need most are routine and sleep. Especially in winter.

   
   

   For an 18 year old it sounds a bit grandma-esque, but if I have it my way I will be in my bed by 9:30 and sound asleep by 10. Then like clock work I'm walking up without my alarm by 6. While I definitely feel the urge to sleep in when the mornings are cold, dreary and well just gross, maintaining a consistent wake and sleep time regulates your circadian rhythm - your internal body clock - which supports consistent energy levels and can help improve the overall quality of your sleep. As for my routine, Having things set in stone that I have to do, anchors my habits to activity, showing up for myself and those around me, rather than unreliable moods or fluctuating motivations.

   
   

   Lets be real, no one really wants to do anything when its miserable outside and when motivation tanks we have the ease to slip into complacency and a seemingly monotonous existence, all the days blend together as grey winter yuck. So I raise you, a routine which provides structure and stability for your physical and emotional health.

   
   

   Starting with something as soon as you get out of bed, not including looking at your phone, but literally anything else, for me its my coffee, but it could be opening your curtains, a morning shower, journaling. maybe you just chug a glass of water. At some point in your day, we want any form of movement and some sort of social interaction, go on a walk, go to pilates, do just dance, yoga, call a friend, grab a coffee, just move your body and talk to a real person. Then last but not least were implementing an every-evening something that marks the end of your day and the start of time for rest, I like to read, light a candle and try to forget my phone exists - because my screen time is diabolical. But really any routine is routine, and the most important thing is that when you say you're going to implement it, you have to do it. Not "just coz" but to build trust with yourself bit by bit and prove that you're stronger than a season.

   
   

4. Porridge

   My First love and my FAVOURITE breakfast always, porridge is absolutely the go to in winter. Warm and hearty there is endless opportunity for variation when it comes to a bowl of oats, and its safe to say I've probably tried close to all porridge recipes. I'll admit it might be a bit of an obsession, so much so that one of my best friends now refers to me as porridge and when she calls me "Audrey" it feels kinda strange, but a bowl of porridge genuinely makes me happy and is the surest way to start a winters day on a good note.

I hope these cooler seasons treat you kindly and if you've been feeling negative lately know you are definitely not alone, especially if its about a backpack. Still, no matter how much we hate it, or wish we could skip it this year, if we don't keep moving through winter we may unknowingly let the cold winds turn us icy, freezing spirit, personality and growth. So while the sun may not be here to help your blossoms bloom, or if you feel yourself stagnant, know that your roots are growing forever deeper as we use this winter to center ourselves in practice and routine. Finding stability and strength that is built upon your effort alone, because no winter is permanent, and spring shall be here soon.

loving you more with every word,

-Auds xx