We’re staying in tonight.

With Daylight Savings ending this weekend, and longer nights just beginning, it signals to me a time to cocoon a little.

It’s the time of year for snuggling in, finding your cozy, creating some hygge (see post here), and retreating a bit. Much like a garden goes dormant to give the trees and plants some much needed rest and respite from the urgent and energy-needy growth of Spring and Summer, we humans need time to go dormant, too.

Thankfully the weather is cooling down which helps set the stage for us. Now is the time for relaxing by the fire each night, putting dinner in the oven instead of on the grill, pulling out those favorite jackets, sweaters and boots, and for contemplating a year almost gone by.

I love this downshift.

I love the chance to cozy up and insulate myself from the world a bit.

Michael and I view those nights or weekends when we have nothing on the schedule as gifts. There’s just something about being able to putt around the house, plan a menu for staying in, pull up a good movie, open an even better bottle of wine, and snuggle in. Aaaahhh.

Remember the years of always feeling like you had to fill every weekend with activity and plans? A new restaurant opened? Great, let’s get reservations. A new movie? Perfect, we’ll stand in line, no problem. What group is in town? Love it, let’s get tickets!

Now the reactions are more along the lines of “We’ll get reservations when the frenzy has died down, or we’ll see the movie when it’s on Apple or Netflix, or we can download the latest album from iTunes if we don’t make it to the concert.”

Boy, have times changed.

I guess this is another gift of age. We’ve been there, done that, so now we can be much more discerning in our choices about where and on what and with whom we spend our precious time.

But honestly, I think there’s a little more going on than merely a change in weather and less daylight. To me, the seasons of Autumn and Winter are Mother Nature’s way of telling us that a little change and hibernation is good for the soul. We humans are meant to continually evolve – to question and to grow, not to stagnate. And we need mental and emotional energy to do that.

Giving ourselves a break from the “so much to do, see, be” syndrome is very much needed, and healthy, especially in the madness that we call daily life nowadays.

Of course, as I’m saying this I’m contemplating what also happens this time of year. Holidays.

I love the holidays, but everyone knows, the fast-approaching crazydays can wreak havoc on one’s mental, emotional and physical states. Which is another reason why we need those hunkering down moments. To recharge and refuel.

So as you set your clock back this weekend, take a deep breath, then let it out with a sigh. Rest, retreat, find your safe haven or port-in-the-storm, and cozy up. You’ve earned it, you deserve it, and you’ll thank you for it.

Till next time,

Judy