The Winter Solstice is not just for the scientists – there are lessons for all of us.Photo by Samer Daboul from Pexels.com
Yesterday’s Winter Solstice and tonight’s coinciding Full Moon is apparently a ‘big deal’ in astronomical terms. The next time both occur closely together will be in 2029. Tonight’s Full Moon is considered a ‘Cold Moon’ (as it brings in the Winter) and will even coincide with meteor showers.
For the scientists there’s a lot of significance to the event, but what else is there to take from it for the non-scientists, apart from the incredible sky show?
- Time to reflect and review.
The Winter Solstice is celebrated across many cultures and continents—from the UK all the way through to Asia and Mexico. It’s a time that marks a turn in the season, welcoming in the light and the abundance it will bring.
The solstice marks the turning point of the darkest day in the northern hemisphere.
From today onward the days will get lighter, the solstice being seen as “a symbolic time of death and rebirth, the darkness inevitably giving way to the light.”
For personal wellbeing or even business, it could just be an ideal time to create space to reflect and review, to consider what has been, and what you will be welcoming in yourself.
Research has shown that self-reflection is powerful for performance, both for work and personal well-being.
Employees who spent 15 minutes at the end of the day reflecting about lessons learned performed 23% better after 10 days than those who did not reflect.
Taking time to pause and reflect can have lasting benefits both personally and professionallyPhoto by Pexels.com
Another study of UK commuters showed:
Those who were who were prompted to use their commute to think about and plan for their day were happier, more productive, and less burned out than people who didn’t.
Too often we race ahead at this time of year, without that pause. The solstice gives us an opportunity to do just that, and to take stock.
- Celebrate the light.
The solstice is also seen as a celebration of more light. This interpretation across cultures varies from the light being said to bring in more positive energy, through to encouraging an abundance of crops and growth.
Although the day symbolises the death of the old year, this is by no means a solemn occasion, with druids celebrating the renewal of life and rejoicing in a moment of seasonal rebirth.
By reflecting on our personal lives and work in this way too, we can see opportunities for our own ‘rebirths’.
- Tune into the rhythm of nature.
Many of the cultural traditions around solstice bring attention to nature’s capacity for renewal – constantly shifting from one season to the next.
Business, economies and even personal lives run by cyclical natures too. There are ebbs and flows to any cycle.
The Full Moon, the solstices, and the turn of the seasons are all significant moments where the cycle reaching its fullest point. As with nature, so too is it the case with our personal and business lives.
The solstice is a symbolic time to consider your own turning points right now, and where you too need more ebb or flow in your life.
The winter solstice is an ideal time to consider the next stepsPhoto by Rawpixel from Pexels.com
- Pay attention to your emotional and physical health.
While the Winter Solstice represents a gradual return to light, it also means we are at the deepest point of winter.
Some reports have shown that around 10-15% of the population struggle through the season. In the UK, around 6% of adults have “recurrent major depressive episodes with seasonal pattern” – otherwise known as seasonal affective disorder.
Whether you experience full symptoms or not, the seasonality can affect our mood and sleep patterns. Therefore it’s a great time of year to pay a little closer attention to how you are feeling.
Looking after your own mental and physical health is important during the winter monthsPhoto by Oleksandr Pidvalnyi Pexels.com
While the NHS’s recommendations to look after your ‘winter wellbeing’ may seem like the ‘usual requirements’—such as walking and eating a healthy diet—there are also things that many of us may be less inclined to follow during the winter months.
The solstice and the Full Moon in tonight’s sky could be that reminder you need to pay more attention to your emotional and physical health.