Need A Better Attitude This Winter? Try This!

Written by Lisa @ This Pilgrim Life, Contributing Writer 

The same thing happens every year. The temperature start to dip. The wind changes from a refreshing breeze to a biting chill. Enter more gray skies. Less color. Less sunshine. More grump.

At first, it’s fun to break out the sweaters, the scarves, and the boots. We are ready for a change and welcome the seasonal shift without much complaining. But after the holidays, when January and February come, you are likely dealing with fatigue and stir-crazy kids in addition to cold weather.

I don’t know about you, but it has always been a struggle for me to embrace winter with a cheerful attitude. Or even an ungrudging attitude, with minimal complaints. It’s not my favorite season, and it shows in the things I say and in my Instagram captions.  

BetterAttitudeWinter

Living with a complaining heart isn’t pleasant, though. So in the past few years I have tried to be much more intentional about changing not only the way I talk about this season, but also the way that I think about it. Because, as you know, lasting change starts on the inside. 

While it’s true that warmer clothing, fires in the fireplace, and more comfort foods all help to make the season more enjoyable/endurable. This year, I’ve added another strategy to changing the way I approach winter. And even better, it’s one we can do together as a family, so we can all be on board.

Need A Better Attitude This Winter? Try This! 

In our last trip to the library, we checked out Laura Ingalls Wilder’s book, The Long Winter. Most nights since then, we gather together near the fireplace while mama reads a chapter about the Ingall family. 

I knew it would be good for me to read during this season, but I did not realize how helpful it would be to gain a little perspective on how good we have it in our home (and likely in yours too). 

The cheerful Ingalls family lives in a claim shanty with thin walls, no heat besides their fire, and a cold walk to get necessary water. Just tonight, we read about how after a three-day blizzard, the cattle outside actually had their heads frozen to the ground because the conditions were so bad. 

Now, I’ve written about how comparison can be the thief of joy and a major roadblock in relationships, but maybe comparison every once in a while isn’t such a bad thing. This winter try a little comparison to help you check your attitude and gain perspective. 

We did just that after reading one night this week. Together we spent a few minutes comparing what our winter looks like with what winter looked like for Laura and her sisters. And it really opened up my eyes. 

winter

  • We have warm clothes. And I don’t have to wear drafty dresses in below freezing temperatures. 
  • Our plumbing is inside. Many, many thanks for this one. 
  • We have refrigerators and freezers and stores full of food. We don’t HAVE TO hunt and forage for food just to survive. 

Of course, the comparisons could go on, but at this point I was thinking of other perks of winter. Like reading together by the fire. More family time as we stay home more often. And simply more occasions to point our children to the Creator and controller of the seasons.

So here’s my encouragement to everyone who, like me, has a history of needing an attitude check during the winter. Either together as a family, or by yourself while you’re enjoying your favorite hot beverage, make a list of what you can be thankful for this season. Write it down and remind each other. Then find a good book (maybe one about winters worse than yours!) and make time to enjoy it together. 

Maybe you’ll find that the cold isn’t so bad after all…

About Lisa

Lisa is married to her best friend and has three inquisitive and energetic kids. She loves crafty things like sewing and painting and actually enjoys cooking with her kids, and making crackers and pasta from scratch. In the busy fullness of life with young children, Lisa strives to live faithfully, remembering the hope of the gospel in all the everyday things. She blogs about a "pilgrim life", living in grace now and waiting for a more permanent, eternal home at thispilgrimlife.com.

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