A Winter of Care and Repair
On a dreary January day while under threat of snow, I read a piece in Simple Things magazine about Jenna Wigger’s recurring project, winter of care and repair.
“Each day from the winter equinox to the summer solstice, I decided I would mend, tend, care for, and otherwise maintain something in my household. […] I tend to overcommit to things, and it’d been a rough year, so I was gentle with my parameters. I didn’t need to complete a repair each day; one stitch was enough […] Focusing on consistent acts instead of completed repairs has helped me reframe ‘success’ as progress rather than productivity.”
Over several winters, Jenna has broadened her criteria for what constitutes a repair. Beyond mending and maintaining her belongings, she now includes relationships (reconnect, initiate a plan); self (rest, exercise, do a favorite activity); and community (volunteer, participate in local events, trade skills with a neighbor). Jenna concludes, “If it seems beyond hope, try anyway. The worst that happens is you can’t repair the already damaged thing — and you’ll probably learn something along the way.”
Jenna’s lovely idea appealingly combines wellbeing with kind but radical rejection of social defaults of modern first world countries. It is anti-consumerism and anti-hustle culture; radical care for yourself and others coupled with participation in your broader community; and maybe a little hygge, too, in the emphasis on slowing down and settling in to rest in winter, as nature does.
I think this is sound advice all the way around! Intentionally taking action can counteract the helplessness and despair one can feel reading the onslaught of negative world news. Community participation like volunteering and going to local events boosts self-esteem and combats loneliness. And acquiring or strengthening skills — even small ones!—contributes to a sense of mastery, boosting life satisfaction and sense of self as a capable person.
This advice also overlaps with recommendations for building cognitive reserve, the brain’s ability to creatively solve problems, cope with adverse conditions, and even resist the effects of neurodegeneration. Harvard Health describes several lifestyle changes that support cognitive reserve:
- Eat a plant-based diet
- Exercise regularly
- Get enough sleep
- Manage your stress
- *Nurture social contacts
- *Continue to challenge your brain
I’d conclude that a winter of care and repair would be good physically, mentally, and spiritually. I’m keen to put it into practice right away.🧵