Preparing For The Winter Blues
November 6, 2023
Winter is just around the corner and with it come darkness and seasonal depression. I love the seasons and really don’t feel like I ever want to live someplace without them, but winter is a really hard season for me. I feel like every year I have said that this year would be different, this year is the year that I am going to love winter and really lean into the season, and it never really happens the way that I want it to. So, this year, I want to set myself up for success any way that I can. Here are the ways that I plan on making this year different:
Make plans and follow through with them. This is probably the hardest thing for me in the winter. Once I am home, I do not want to go back out and be cold again. Along with this, this rule is very easy to keep in December when there are holiday things that we can go out and do. It is January and February that I am not sure I will be able to keep this rule.
Constantly be drinking a warm beverage. Tea, cocoa and hot coffee have to be three of my favorite beverages, so this should be an easy rule to keep for myself. I also want to apply this to meals; I want the meals that I eat to be, at least mostly, warm. Being a cold person, I am often colder than the other people in the room and if I can counteract the stiffness in my joints with warmth in my belly, I think that will be very helpful.
Be intentional about movement. The apartment that I live in right now has a pretty nice gym, and this winter I really want to take advantage of it. My job is very hands on and active, but it will be ending at the end of December, and even if I was staying in the role, it is in private events and there are far fewer private events in January and February than there are in June and July. This will also help with how tight my joints get in the colder months due to trying to keep myself warm.
Allowing myself more rest time. In the warmer months, I do not take nearly as much rest time as I will need in the cooler months. As the seasons change, so do our bodies. It is okay to allow myself to be “lazy” and read more books and watch more movies. I also want to use my rest time for hobbies that give me life. Whether that be making art or learning to bake, I want to find hobbies that feels restful.
I wish you all luck as the seasons shift, yet again, and the snow blows in. This will be the year we fall in love with winter.
