Beating The Winter Blues
This time of year can be hard—the holiday season brings varied reactions and some very mixed feelings for a lot of people. Wintertime is tough: it’s gray, it’s cold; it starts to seem smarter to hibernate until Spring.
First Thing’s First
Everyone’s cold (except the snowbirds, who have us all wishing we had condos in Florida). We can either band together in commiseration, or we can isolate ourselves and ignore our friends and loved ones until March. It seems as though most of us tend toward being a little more laid back and a tad less active in the Winter—no problem.
That being said, I would rather enjoy my life year-round, so I do try to create balance between cuddling up on the couch with my dog and a book, saying yes to plans with a friend, and hitting the gym. The first option does tend to win out more during the wintertime for me, but that’s okay as long as I don’t completely knock the other options off the table.
Second of all
It’s okay to lean into the nostalgia. I subscribe to this belief year-round (I’m an Enneagram type 4; for better or worse, it’s a large part of my personality), but I do find the cozier months to be the perfect time for everyone to adopt some of that ideology.
The holiday season brings memories of being young and innocent—these can be memories that some people try hard not to think about, as change can be so difficult and bittersweet. Some of us are reminded of past better days around this time, while others think of lost family members, broken homes, and the overall dwindling holiday cheer in society. It is okay to feel feelings! Better yet, it is beneficial to feel them. This is what makes us human, facilitates healing, and allows us to grieve.
Finally
In combination with leaning into nostalgia, we have also got to continue pushing through and taking care of ourselves during these cold months. Make sure you’re getting enough Vitamin D! Say yes to plans when your first instinct is to say no because of the chilly weather. Pick up a new indoor activity or start an at-home project.
Surrounding yourself with positivity is key, and isolating from the good things in your life is not going to help with the “blah”-ness in which you’re sitting. Feel your feelings, then pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and do something about it.