I always do my best to present myself as a mentally stable person. My efforts are more easily thwarted during the winter. Now, I normally handle the beginning of winter pretty well but around January I start to get all twitchy and really crave the sun and warmth of spring.
Thankfully, I have found a few ways to help me cope with the doldrums.
- Get active – As I sit on my couch and write this, it is approximately 5 degrees outside. Snow is on the ground and it is windy. Very windy. I just spent 35 minutes or so working out: free weights and yoga. It felt wonderful and really improved my mood. Get physical in some way 20 – 30 minutes a day and you will be surprised the difference in how you feel.
- Light therapy – Purchase a light box specifically designed to treat people with Seasonal Affective Disorder. These lights, normally functioning at 10,000 lumens or higher, mimic the full spectrum light of the sun and trigger a biological response in your body making you feel better. (Okay, this suggestion isn’t so cheap…)
- Aromatherapy – I love light, crisp scents. They remind me of spring. I have a small apartment and almost always have a Yankee Candle burning in the evening and it doesn’t take long for my whole space to fill up with the aroma. Yankee Candles are a bit expensive but provide the most bang for your buck in my experience. Thanks to James, I also have a chamomile neck-wrap that can be heated in the microwave and some smell-good lotion. I use both liberally. Good smells always pick me up.
- Fresh flowers – It seems that every supermarket and big box store sells fresh flowers. Spend a couple bucks every few days to pick yourself up a small bouquet. Place it someplace in your house where you will see it a lot. I have a vase of peonies on my dining table as I write. They are beautiful and remind me of spring.
- Cook – Nothing makes me feel better than a crock-pot with a hearty meal inside. I love chili, pot roasts, or stews. You get a wonderfully good meal, often at a much cheaper price than you would pay in a restaurant, and the smell that will fill your house ties directly into #3 above. You get two, two, two for one!
- Visit a local garden – I live in St. Louis and am lucky enough to be about 3 minutes from the Missouri Botanical Gardens. One of the features of the gardens is the Climatron Conservatory where a tropical forest exists year round. It is cheap to get in and always a balmy temperature. Plus, being surrounded by beautiful plants, runnning water and chirping birds is more than worth the price of admission.
- Cuddle – Nothing chases away the winter blues like cuddling on a couch with your favorite person, lover or pet. Pop in a favorite movie or grab you favorite book, pile up the warm blankets and settle in for the day.
- Dress colorfully – I’ve always found it interesting that during winter, when the world dies, people tend to wear darker clothes. Try the opposite. Color influences moods so if you are feeling down, pull out the beautiful yellow scarf that you normally wear at Easter. If you are stuck wearing dark suits to the office, try colorful and fun ties and pocketsquares. It might not always follow the strictest fashion rules but who gives a shit?
- Embrace the cold – For me, a lot of my seasonal funk stems from my longing for spring. Sometimes I embrace winter. I bundle up and go for a long walk in the cold or just sit outside on a park bench and feel the cold. It is even more amazing when it is snowing. It really helps me notice how absolutely beautiful winter is and how it should be enjoyed and embraced rather than wished away.
I hope some of these suggestions help you get over your winter funk. If you have any methods for dealing with seasonal moods, I would love to hear them!
(Photo via brunopostigo54)
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