5 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues
Get Outdoors, Volunteer, Adopt a Pet, Enjoy Friends or a Good Read
Dec 19, 2008
As winter drags on, the lack of sunlight in colder climes and the accumulation of time spent indoors begins to wear on many people. This can be as extreme as depression or seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.) but for others it's a matter of changing habits and breaking out of the isolation that the cold weather sometimes brings. Read on for five fun and rewarding ideas to help you beat the winter blues!
Quiet Time to Recharge and Create
Winter is a traditional time for turning inwards and enjoying a more restful, relaxed approach: as the earth slumbers, so can we, taking a moment to read a good book, drink a cup of hot cocoa before the fireplace, and contemplate future plans.
Winter doesn't have to be a cold, lonely season. Reframing and setting a clear intention for the cold season lull can help you create an opportunity out of a problem. Winter can be the perfect time to take on a creative project like a quilt, crosstitch or writing that you've been meaning to do for ages, or to pursue a new hobby or interest.
Spend Time with Friends
Reaching out to friends during the winter can be challenging – snowstorms, busy work schedules and shorter daylight hours can all interfere. But the winter can also be a wonderful time to reconnect with friends over coffee or drinks.
If it isn't possible to meet face to face, try arranging an email correspondence or even a correspondence as snail-mail penpals! Friendship and open communication can be a light through the darkest season and into the return of spring.
Get Outdoors
The ice and snow and the freezing cold can seem like an imposing obstacle to spending time outdoors, but it's worth doing anyways. Bundle up in layers, a scarf and hat, good gloves, and a sturdy pair of boots with good grip and get ready to make some mood-boosting endorphins!
Outdoor activities and sports like downhill or cross-country skiing, tobogganing, or a good, old-fashioned snowball fight can pick up a flagging mood faster than a snowball flies.
Winter mood disorders have been linked, in part, to lack of sunlight. Spending time outdoors can help counter this deficit; so can special lightbulbs that are designed to produce "full spectrum lighting," which more closely mimics the sun.
Adopt a Pet
If you're willing to put in the time and do the work of caring for one, a warm, furry animal can be a comfort and a companion through the long winter months.
Cats are much less work but they have a warm, comforting presence. Dogs are cheerful and loyal to a fault, and are truly one of the best antidepressants known to humankind.
January is the best time to adopt puppies and kittens from over-full shelters. Many pets are returned just after Christmas when parents realize that a living, breathing gift is really too much work for them and their kids. You may also feel good knowing that you rescued your pet from an uncertain fate.
Volunteer Your Time
Volunteering your time to aid those less fortunate is one winter activity that has the potential to both pick you up and be of great service to others in your community.
Soup kitchens and programs to feed and house the homeless during the harshest weather can always use an extra pair of hands, and volunteering at a program that helps the less fortunate can be a great way to reconnect with people during the winter months.
If you're feeling down, think about trying something different. Any of these five ideas can help turn around a boring, reclusive time of year and make this winter a season worth remembering!
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