Surviving the Winter Blues

 

As beautiful as snow falling on the ground may be in the beginning, we all reach a point when you live in an area that gets harsh winters, where you literally just can’t take it anymore. You’re going stir crazy inside because you’re trapped in the house, it’s too cold and windy to go outside in nature every day, and you feel like you’ve run out of things to do. That’s probably because our society is always on the go so when we have to quiet time and down time for ourselves it drives us nuts, but there are several ways you can survive this. In other countries in fact, the cold months are celebrated through the little things like cozy blankets, sitting by a fire and journaling, snuggling with friends and family, eating and drinking things that nourish and warm your body and soul, and pampering your body. So are we doing it all wrong here? Maybe. But the best I can do is offer you some tips to survive the remaining next few months, and no matter what, remember that the warmer days are coming!



Sip Warm Tea
Drinking tea (actually sipping it mindfully) is a form of self care. If you actually slow down and just focus on everything about it, you’ll see what I mean. So you’re tired and bored and annoyed that it’s snowing AGAIN…. Well make a cup of tea. Then stand or sit by a window as you observe the outside world, and sip slowly from your tea cup. Pay attention to how the warmth goes down your throat and into your stomach, warming you from the inside out. Pay attention to the flavor and smell of the tea. Just revel in the moment, just like in those commercials where the woman is standing in her leggings and cozy sweater, leaning against the wall, watching the snow fall outside as she holds her cup with both hands, elbows bent, and sips and then smiles. The other benefit of tea is that herbs can REALLY be good for your body and your immune system. You can choose blends to energize you when you feel lazy and you can choose blends that calm you when you feel anxious and restless.

Tend to Your Body
Do you have issues like dry skin, toenails that need some TLC, hair that’s try and damaged, or skin that’s breaking out? Now is the time to slow down, and take care of those things. Look up recipes for DIY hair masks, give yourself a serious mani/pedi, start taking more time to wash and tend to your face in the morning and before bed. Start putting on lotion for your dry skin every day. Be mindful when you do it, notice how good it feels to take care of yourself like this. Soak your feet in a warm tub and add some fun herbs, salts, and flower petals.


Focus on Inner Work
Are there things about yourself you wish to improve like a more positive mindset or healing past trauma? Look into getting books from your local library about self help and other topics you wish to explore. I promise that if you sit around and read a self help book instead of mindlessly watch TV or scroll social media on your phone, you’ll feel a lot better about how you spend your time. Learn to meditate, practice yoga poses, stretch and move your body, and expand your mind. Many other countries celebrate the darker time of the year by doing the darker inner work so that you can bloom to your full potential in the Spring.

Speak Positively about the Weather
I read an article that said that in other countries, ones that are faced with HEAVY snow and frigid weather for even longer than the US, they survive it by NOT complaining about it. I mean, if you think about it, complaining is pointless because you can’t change the weather anyways, and it’s literally not doing anything good to sit there and fume over it. So instead of standing in the window, groveling about how you hate shoveling, step outside and feel the snowflakes on your skin. Kick some snow just like you did when you were a kid. Go on a nature walk and observe just how beautiful nature looks in the snow. When you stare out your window, look at what birds or critters are out in this weather. You may notice only certain types of birds stick around, and you may even notice animal pawprints in your snowy yard. Celebrate this time of year, however you need to. Weather it’s sledding down a hill with your kids, taking a trail walk, or just observing how the snow looks as it falls on the ground, keep it positive!

Tend to the Chaos in Your Home
If you’re stuck in the house, you may as well make it a better place to be. Now is the time of year to delve into your clutter piles, your unfiled paperwork, your excess fridge and kitchen items, and do a completely wardrobe purge. I know spring cleaning is a thing, but who wants to be stuck inside cleaning on nice warm days. Take advantage of the cold weather to stay in and revamp your space. This can actually make you feel better about being stuck in your home. Wouldn’t it be much more enjoyable to be inside a clean and organized home when you can’t go out and about?

Start Planning your Year
A great way to survive the Winter blues is by focusing on the upcoming positive events. Start planning projects you want to do in the Spring, vacations and day trips in the Summer, and parties you want to host throughout the warm seasons. When you focus on what’s coming up it can give you hope, because after all, like I said above, the warm weather always comes back around!

I promise you that you can change your mindset by changing your actions and really working on being more positive. And really, you have no excuse to not better the above aspects of your life with all the time you’ll spend stuck inside, so get to work!

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