Don’t Resist the Cold
The snow is drifting down today, blanketing everything. Children are thrilled the schoolhouse doors remain closed, granting them a delightful four-day weekend. Meanwhile, I’m nestled by the fire, watching it all unfold from the cozy comfort of indoors. Truth be told, I’m not a fan of the cold. I bristle when the temperatures dip below 65—so this scene is best enjoyed from a safe, warm distance.
On days like this and when I’m prepping for a trip, I rely on one of my favorite websites: DoINeedAJacket.com (yes, it’s real). It gives you the practical advice you crave when checking the weather and a precise “Yes” or “No” based on your location/desination. It’s simple and direct, just like I like it.
Living in the South now, my husband often shakes his head, wondering how I managed to survive ten winters in Chicago and Washington, D.C., before we met. He’s not wrong. Each frosty college morning, I’d peer out my apartment window at the snow-covered streets, sigh, and wonder what to wear. My friends, who had perfected the art of layering, had a standard response ready for me: “Long Johns, boots, sweatshirt, coat, hat, and gloves.” Dutifully following their advice, I still shivered all the way to class, unable to shake the chill.
Then, someone shared a game-changing idea: don’t resist the cold. Stop focusing on how uncomfortable you are; engage your mind elsewhere. At first, this sounded impossible. But one brisk morning, I gave it a try. Instead of dreading every icy step, I distracted myself with other thoughts—what I was learning, what I was looking forward to that day. To my surprise, it worked. I didn’t feel warmer, but I did feel less consumed by the cold.
This lesson resurfaced years later when I prepared for the anticipated pain of childbirth. As part of a practice exercise, I plunged my hand into a bucket of ice water for the two minute length of a contraction. The first time, I focused on the discomfort: the sharp sting, the numbness creeping in, the timer crawling forward. It felt like forever. Then, I did it again with a new approach. I thought about the baby we’d soon hold, focused on my breathing, and let music fill my mind. The timer went off, and I was stunned—the two minutes had flown by.
That same mindset shift has served me well in my professional life, too. Whether I’m encountering resistance from others to an idea I’m advocating for or grappling with my own resistance to someone else’s suggestion, the concept of “don’t resist the cold” applies. Instead of bracing against it, I remind myself to relax, stay open, and engage with what’s ahead.
My mentor, Dale Hanson Bourke, beautifully articulated this idea in her book Turn Toward the Wind. Just as a sailor tacks into the wind to move forward, facing challenges without tension helps you ease into them, better understand them, and find the way forward.
So, whether you embrace Don’t resist the cold, Turn toward the wind, or Mary Poppins’ timeless encouragement of Just a spoonful of sugar, these guiding truths may be helpful nudges to navigate whatever we’re facing. A small shift in perspective or attitude can make even the hardest tasks more manageable.
What’s your go-to mindset shift when tackling the uncomfortable or unexpected? I invite you to consider and share with someone to learn from one other—after all, the warmth of community helps us weather any storm.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
