In Tune with the Days of the Season

It's December. While some other places are slipping into winter, we have the harmattan. Unlike winter, harmattan comes with its own kind of chaos. The air is very dry and dusty, the mornings are cold, sometimes extremely cold and the afternoons are hot even with the faintest sunlight. After the rainy season, this is the next season people fall sick the most, with catarrh, polio, runny noses, and chapped dry skin.

One funny thing about this season is that everyone loves it, no matter how stressful the weather conditions are.

I love it too. I love taking early morning strolls when the fog is still thick and there are very few people on the road. I love soaking my hands in the dew on the flowers. I love connecting with this season, and somehow, it always ends up being my favourite of the year.

Because the season comes with a lot of changes, I also make small adjustments in my life to flow with it. Harmattan has a way of making people feel lazy and tired, even early in the morning. To avoid that I made it a routine to exercise my body in the evening before bed and go out around 5 a.m. for a walk and a stretch. That little activity activates my mood and prepares me for the harsh dryness and heat that will show up in the afternoon.

During harmattan, I usually have an unusually high thirst for water. That is to say that I'm always very thirsty, so I drink a lot of water. The funny part is that I also visit the bathroom a lot, which makes me feel like the water still isn’t enough to keep me hydrated. So I take a lot of fruits like coconut, oranges, banana, and watermelon. These fruits are very fresh in my area and affordable too, so it’s easy to have it everyday.

Talking about dehydration, my skin always demands a lot of attention this season. As a shy person, little things can make me uncomfortable. Chapped lips, red eyes, dry or flaky skin are all on that list. So I moisturize twice a day, morning and night, and I try to go for affordable moisturizers with SPF. Body oil is also an essential in this season to lock in moisture. Then vaseline and lip gloss to.prevent dry lips.

I almost forgot to mention my sunglasses. They play a huge role in making this season healthy and enjoyable for me.

As a minimalist who loves, appreciates, and embraces luxury in simplicity, these are the small ways I thrive in this season. They are effortless, peaceful, and very rewarding.

Like I said, this is always my favourite season of the year. The sun is gentle, the rain is gone, and the weather, though very cold is cozy because it's festive season too. It becomes even more enjoyable when you’re with loved ones. The hoodies and socks, the food aromas, the genuine smiles, the warm cuddles, and that childhood nostalgia of sitting close together just to keep warm all bring a kind of euphoria to the harmattan days.