The Inevitable Winter Lull

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Well, we’re in it now. Welcome to “the Lull.”

That much-anticipated black hole between winter and spring. The window of drudgery, bookended by football and baseball season. The time for seasonal depression to cement its grip.

Thank god for hockey. 🏒 🥅 😁 

It feels like no matter how much I mentally prepare, it hits me like a ton of bricks, every single year. And in no way does it help that the first day in the abyss is… you guessed it… a washout.

I could sit here and complain all day about one day of rainy weather... and trust me, I do that a lot.

Thought I'm aware it's totally plausible that you, reader, could be experiencing far worse: a blizzard, icy roads, extreme hot or cold, or natural disasters...

Weather comes, weather goes.

But here, in the Lull, the weather is only an exacerbation of the feeling deep within.

Every year that I can remember, in early- to mid-February, I take the inevitable plunge into the Lull.

I know that it’s temporary… after all, February is shortest month of the year, even with the much-awaited Leap Day.

And thanks to some recent(ish) policy changes by the US government and the NFL, combined with the fact that I now reside in a warm(er) climate, the Lull feels much shorter than it used to.

Still, the Lull persists.

I think back to when I was in 2nd grade, and I first heard of Groundhog’s Day.

These are, almost always, six weeks from hell.

Distractions are helpful, and this year I’ve kept myself more occupied than ever before.

Post-COVID, I’ve been more inclined to plan and join social outings. And having recently paid off my extraordinary debt, I now have some discretionary funds to do more fun activities. And I’m super grateful for that.

Just last week, I took a trip to Colorado and managed a ski day up in Aspen with some good friends.

The Lull, when it looms, feels like a treacherous path ahead.

While in it, feels like an emotional weighted backpack that’s straps are locked in place.

Yet when spring finally rolls around, and I’m back in in the hot Carolina sun on a late March day, I’ll feel like a whole new person.

As much as I fear the inevitability of the Lull, it’s a necessary stage of the year.

The Lull is a time for reflection. It’s a time to connect with myself mentally and emotionally.

It’s a time for clever contemplation. A time to bask in the rays of my sun lamp, participate in online communities, and engage in thoughtful reading and writing. A time to take a step deeper into my authentic self.

It helps me step back, be present, sit with my emotions (even and especially the negative ones), and gain clarity of how I want the year to move ahead.

In 2020, the Lull allowed me to dig in and finally launch a podcast.

Last February, I committed to writing this newsletter.

What will this year bring?

After all, in the blink of an eye, it’ll be the All-Star Break... I’ll be desperately looking for a pool, begging for the slog of the summer to simmer... welcoming the cool, crisp, and cozy vibes of–yup, football season.

After reading recent pieces by Alex Michael and Camilo Moreno-Salamanca and their participation in a 30-day writing challenge, I decided to set an intention of writing for seven days straight.

If it goes well (aka I stick to it), I very well may keep going.

A big realization during this Lull was that I deeply crave an outlet to express my inner thoughts. With that in mind, I’m trying to give less care about a) It being perfect, and b) How people might react.

I hope some of this writing provokes thought for you in some meaningful way.