When you think about winter, what comes to mind?

Likely, colder weather, shorter days, less sunshine, trees with no leaves, a slower pace of daily life and more time to do … nothing. Because of these things, you may also think of sadness, loneliness and internal discomfort that can stem from not having the external “distraction” of the nicer summery weather and all of the fun things summer brings with it.

Whatever it is that comes to mind when you think of winter, one thing is true for all of us: Just as the winter season is important for nature, wintery seasons are important in life.

Winter is important in nature for many reasons. For instance, snow cover helps to regulate Earth’s surface temperature, and the melting snow provides water for rivers, reservoirs, agriculture and more. The change in seasons is essential for certain plants and wildlife and is an important time for gardening as well.

Believe it or not, cold weather is also good for our health. Cold weather can help to reduce pain and inflammation, improve blood flow and circulation, and lessen seasonal allergies because there is less dust and allergens in the winter. And around here, winter is also necessary for the life and wellbeing of many business owners and their families.

Winter may be a harder and harsher season than the others, but without it, we would miss out on the much needed “rest and rebuild” period that is beneficial in so many ways. It’s a season of slowing down, resting more and being more intentional about how we spend our energy. Winter is necessary to prevent burnout or exhaustion that would be inevitable if we never had periods of rest and recovery. Yet, so many of us complain about the discomfort and “inconvenience” that winter brings.

But life can’t always be sunny and warm. And if it was, trust me, you’d get sick of it at some point. We always do. As humans, we flourish in change — if we allow ourselves to. But far too often, we push back against the change out of fear of the discomfort it brings. We’ve grown far too dependent on being comfortable and will do anything possible to minimize the things that bring discomfort.

So, then, when you think about growth or change, what feelings do those things bring? A lot of the time, the answer to this question resembles the answer to the winter question. When we are in seasons of growth or change, we often feel sadness, loneliness and internal discomfort. We may yearn for the comfort that life’s “summer” seasons bring and wish we could get back there as soon as possible.

But what if we could find a way to cherish both seasons? What if we could realize that winter is necessary and beneficial, just as summer is? What if we could take these times of internal discomfort and find a way to grow and benefit from them?

So yes, winter brings less daylight hours and more time indoors — but you can utilize that to your benefit. Take the initiative to focus even more on your health during this time, rather than letting your health slip as well. Get your workouts in, learn how to meditate, read some self-development books and get comfortable spending time alone with yourself with no distractions.

If you can commit to doing these things, your life will improve with no question at all, and you will see that winter seasons bring a lovely (instead of dreaded) sense of peace and quiet.

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Life can’t always be sunny and warm. … As humans, we flourish in change — if we allow ourselves to. But far too often, we push back against the change out of fear of the discomfort it brings.

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