I shared this a couple of months ago on my Instagram, but at this point in the season I need a reminder to make the most of winter, so I thought I’d share it again.

It’s taken me ten years of living in the North to realize that enjoying winter is as much about warmth as it is about light, but I finally feel like I know how to thrive in this season. Here are my hard-won tips:

1️⃣ Wake up earlier.

2️⃣ Throw on your most comfortable clothes.

3️⃣ Get out of the house or sit by a window—do whatever you need to get👏🏼that👏🏼sun.

4️⃣ And then, when you’re sleepy because it’s been night time since 4 PM, 😴 go to sleep so you can see the sun again tomorrow ☀️

…I should probably end this post here, but let me tell you about my seasonal sun analogy in case you’re curious about the underlying philosophy to this wintertime advice ; )

OK so, Summer Sun is like your super cool extroverted friend who goes to every party/brunch/concert/whatever. You don’t have to make plans to see her because she’s always down and all you have to do is show up to the party.

Winter Sun, in contrast, is like your kind, thoughtful introverted friend. You have to make plans to see them because they don’t go out much, but you always feel good about yourself and hopeful about the world after you hang out so it’s worth the extra effort.

(I only came up with Winter and Summer, but if I had to guess, I’d say Spring Sun is melodramatic but entertaining and Fall Sun is that one friend who’s always going on walks. What do you think?)