December means we’ve arrived at the heart of winter. And while many people hide from the elements, the dark is my personal challenge. The nights feel really long in the countryside, and I have to battle every day to stay positive, motivated, and to not feel trapped. And I know I’m not alone.

Many people say ‘But you’re a writer! I thought you’d love long nights!’. Yes, I am, but I also love exercise and in the summer, I regularly take a final walk of the day that’s over an hour long once it’s past 9pm. So, the dark can feel like a physical restraint.

Also, I work best in the morning. My optimum time is between 6am and 11am. I have tried to change my writing habits in the winter to accommodate some writing after dark, but it’s not my best work and never will be. And I truly believe I should always give the best part of my energy to my writing – especially at critical stages.

One of the ways I deal with these long nights is ensuring I get out into the fresh air for at least three hours a day, every day. Of course, there are a few days where this isn’t quite viable – workload, travel, obligations etc – but that’s my standard aim. And I usually succeed. And when I’m away from my desk for three hours, that means there’s three hours-worth of work to catch up on, which I can sit down to as darkness arrives. That tides me over until around 8pm, and takes up a portion of the long night.

Another tactic I employ is taking slower mornings, reading a short story or poem or essay every morning in bed to widen my reading and make the day feel like a treat. Is there anything more luxurious than reading in the morning?

I’m aware it’s all smoke and mirrors, but anything that maintains productivity, and keeps the heart happy, is fine by me. As writers, we often have to cheat ourselves into getting work done. Not because of procrastination (though that may be the case for some) but because writing progress is difficult to measure and these small tricks keep us going at our optimum pace and optimum levels.

Some of my favourite winter reads are nature essays. I spend a lot of time outdoors in the natural world, and I feel really grateful for the landscape around me. It’s not without its challenges, but on the whole, living in rural West Cork is grounding. It is where I breathe best.

I’m also aware that not everyone has access to the countryside or nature. Not everyone appreciates the natural world, but for those of you that do, I’ve given myself a winter project – #NatureAdvent – that will help distract me from the long nights but also, hopefully, bring some freshness to yours.

Every day, starting Dec 1^st, I’m going to post a nature essay on my Facebook E.R. Murray author page and twitter, for you to enjoy. It might be personal, topical, or political; it might surprise, conjure up memories or dreams, or it might shock – but each essay will be something I’ve enjoyed that focuses on its themes with the natural world at its heart.

I hope you enjoy! And if you have any thoughts or comments, or indeed have read anything beautiful that you think I’d enjoy, please do share. #NatureAdvent is a two-way project. After all, this earth is ours to protect and share, and appreciation of its wonders and capabilities is the first step towards empathy, to looking after ourselves and our planet.