Winter is coming and winter blues may come along with it. It’s natural to feel more depressed and stale during the colder and darker months due to the lack of sun, plus the behaviors we change when the season shifts. Check out the following tips to help alleviate these moods.
Spend Time with Others –
It’s easy to stay at home and fall into a binge-watching hole all winter when the snow is blowing and the streets are icy. But making plans and actually doing them with friends and family is necessary for good mental health. Being social, even if it’s something low key, can improve mood, give you time to relate and share, and relieve stress. Choose fun winter activities outside to get some daylight, go to a movie or musical, meet at a cozy café for coffee and tea, or have pals over to join in that binge-watch with you.
Declutter –
It might seem counterintuitive because cleaning doesn’t exactly sound fun but giving your home a thorough decluttering and cleaning will make you feel good! If you can reserve a window of time to really get into it, the act of cleaning does a sort of psychological cleanse on you, too. Clutter is associated with increasing anxiety, after all.
Go through your things and create piles to throw out/recycle, donate, or sell. It’s important to do so securely: hire professionals to take care of your old electronics that contain sensitive data like computers, tablets, phones, and others. Having them properly crushed and the materials recycled is also safer for the environment. Access paper shredding services near you for old paper files, too. Decluttering and increasing peace of mind by reducing the risk of identity theft will be a huge relief.
Pick Up a Hobby –
The winter is the perfect time to learn how to knit, paint, craft, cook, play an instrument, pick up photography, attend a fitness or martial arts class, make holiday cards, or go on winter nature hikes. Or you might want to return to a past passion that you’ve let slip. Not only will this new activity keep you busy, but it will engage your creative side and stimulate different parts of your brain to enhance wellbeing and a healthy mind.
Learn to Cook –
Spending a lot of time indoors increases your opportunities to cook. Making delicious and fresh foods from scratch is healthier, costs less, and is fun and satisfying to do. Cooking a meal for yourself and for others feels rewarding in that way that makes you feel good that you’re providing and a talented chef! Plus, eating well boosts your physical and mental health. Look for recipes that increase Vitamin D intake to help with the lack of sun.
Love Winter –
Part of changing the way you feel about something is doing things that encourage liking that thing. Celebrate winter and the good things it can bring, and your feelings will begin to change from drab to fab. Decorate your home for the holidays, or winter in general, with items like snowflake light reflectors, cute snowman candle holders, wreaths and garlands, and painted wintry gourds. Bake seasonal treats and use fun cookie cutters and buy some flavoured coffees and teas. Make cold weather comfort food classics like stew and Sheppard’s pie. Get into winter-themed activities with family and friends and visit festivals and fairs.
Try any or all of these activities to help boost your chilly mood this season.
