There are two times of the year that I find the darkness of winter overwhelming: in the first weeks of December, when it feels like the darkness can’t get any more oppressive but it just keeps encroaching; and in February, when we’re slowly digging out of that hole but summer is still so far away.

I mentioned this to a friend, that this time of year is hard for me and I always look toward the Winter Solstice as a beacon of hope, even though we won’t notice the reversal of change for some time, and he said, “Yes, this is just a season of enduring. You know things will turn around, but for now, you just have to keep your head down and keep moving.”

I have grappled with depression and anxiety for so long that sometimes it is hard for me to remember that not all negative emotions are pathological. Unhappiness doesn’t need to be “cured”. I’m not sick because I get upset or sad and I need to stop thinking that every time I’m unhappy I need to immediately shore up my emotional defenses and fight some battle. Sometimes my energy can be better spent elsewhere.

Another friend said, “Maybe you realize that you’ve been playing tug of war and spending all this energy pulling on this rope, but it’s bolted to a wall and you’re not going to get anywhere. It’s okay to set the rope down.” There are other areas of your life that need attention. YOU need attention.

Maybe, hopefully, later on down the road, circumstances will change so that whatever obstacle you’re facing becomes manageable. But not every problem needs an immediate solution. If your car gets stuck in the snow and ice, you can spin your tires until you damage your car trying to get traction. Or you can stop, wait. Re-evaluate.

Don’t burn yourself out when maybe you just need to cope for awhile. Cope, endure, until you are well enough to regroup, strategize and put your energy to work more effectively.

Simply, this is all just another lesson in mindfulness. I can sit with my discomfort. I can sit with sadness and fear and emotional fatigue. I can recognize the wounds in my spirit. None of this is an emergency, and healing takes time. We’re playing the long game. Not everything needs to happen in this act. There are many more to follow.