Finding Joy in the Grey Days

Mindset shifts and gentle practices for dull winter days.

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Remembering the Beast from the East

I still remember the Beast from the East in 2018 — Ireland came to a standstill for what felt like forever.
Snowdrifts, frozen pipes, power cuts, schools closed, and for a few brief days, the whole country slowed to a hush.

We were lucky to have power, and I remember how magical it felt — the world blanketed in white, everything still. We stayed home, played games, cooked comfort food, watched movies, and watched the snow fall.
It was cold, yes, but it was also full of something we rarely get enough of: pause.

The truth is, most Irish winters aren’t like that. They’re not snowy or postcard-perfect. They’re grey, wet, windy, and long. The kind of damp cold that seeps into your bones and makes you want to hide under a blanket until March.

And yet — these months hold their own quiet beauty. Over the past few years, I’ve learned that finding joy in the grey days isn’t about chasing sunshine or waiting for spring. It’s about learning to see differently.

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Lesson One: Light the Inside Light

When the world outside feels dull, make your own kind of brightness.
Light the lamps early, strike a match for your favourite candle, let soft golden light spill across the room.

There’s something deeply soothing about warm light on a cold day. It says, this is home; you are safe here.
Fairy lights, table lamps, the gentle flicker of a flame — they don’t just brighten a space, they lift your mood.

(If you ever needed an excuse to light that candle on a Tuesday morning — this is it.)

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Lesson Two: Get Outside, Even Briefly

Grey days often tempt us to stay inside, but even ten minutes of fresh air can shift everything.
Bundle up, grab a scarf, and step into the day.
Feel the wind, notice the clouds, listen to the birds who sing anyway.

We may not have snow-capped mountains or bright winter sunshine, but there’s quiet beauty in the everyday Irish landscape — mossy stone walls, puddles that mirror the sky, the deep greens that thrive in the damp.

You don’t have to enjoy every moment of it. Just notice it.

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Lesson Three: Create Colour

When the world goes monochrome, add colour back in yourself.
Buy a bunch of daffodils or tulips for your table.
Wear your brightest jumper.
Cook something colourful — roasted beetroot, golden soup, vibrant fruit.

It’s not vanity; it’s medicine for the soul.
Colour feeds the mind and reminds us that the world isn’t just grey — it’s only waiting for us to look closer.

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Lesson Four: Honour the Slow Days

There’s value in quiet days at home — the ones that blur together between cups of tea and candlelight.
Winter is the season of the pause.

You don’t have to be productive to have a meaningful day. Sometimes a slow pot of soup, a tidy drawer, or a short nap is enough.

Give yourself permission to move slower, think slower, be slower.
That’s not laziness. That’s rhythm.

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Lesson Five: Cultivate Small Joys

When the light fades early, joy can come in the smallest forms:

• A fresh bedsheet night
• A hot water bottle tucked under the blanket
• A favourite playlist while you cook
• An early bath
• The sound of rain on the roof

Tiny anchors like these remind us that contentment isn’t seasonal — it’s something we create.

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Grey Is Not Empty

Grey isn’t the absence of colour; it’s the space where everything softens, blends, and rests.
These months may not sparkle like December or bloom like May, but they have their own quiet magic.

So let the grey days come. Light your lamps. Make your tea.
Find the beauty in the blur, the hush, the ordinary.

Joy lives here too.

Chat soon,

Ciara x

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✨ You Might Also Enjoy

• The Art of Staying In
• Slow Living Lessons from the Winter Garden
• Creating a Winter Sanctuary at Home