Has the weather got you down lately? All this wind, ice and snow have been brewing up a huge batch of winter blues. Many people suffer from seasonal depression. But hec most of us just get plain sick of it. So what do you have cooking in your life to counter the winter blues? Here are some ideas for your winter concoction of life……
Tanning may be something to consider because of the Vitamin D it offers which beats winter depression. Lots of tanning places offer the first sessions for free to draw in new customers so you can try it out. If you don’t want to tan I strongly suggest taking short walks outdoors whenever you see any sunlight. Your body craves it!!
Keep active. Go to the gym, take a ballroom dance, tango or yoga class or play a strenuous sport like raquetball or basketball. Try something new just for the hec of it. I am a women but am planning on trying karate just to try karate. Too much sitting around creates more lethargy. Not being able to leave the house will make you more tired. Then you get just plain tired of being plain tired.
Lose yourself in a large project much bigger than yourself. What better time to plan a family reunion, do a family tree. Create a huge project for yourself. In life we long to be part of something bigger than ourselves.
Plan a large party. In todays recession times, it may have to be a potluck, small cover charge or finger food only. I heard of a lady having what she called Mac and Cheese parites. The concept was so that you would meet all other people you had not met before. She randomly invited people she didn’t know. So nobody at the party knew anybody else which is great for business networking.
Listen to music. Go to a concert, load all your favorite songs on your ipod, itunes. Nothing lifts the soul like soul music. Sing some karaoke. I attended a Winter Jam concert that lasted 4 hours and thought now this beats the winter blues!
Create warm fuzzies for other people in your life. Have you noticed people you haven’t seen out in awhile. Could be they have the winter blues. Reach out to them and get out of the house.
Go geocaching. The latest fad or hobby is to google the spots that have drop offs and go visit them and like a time capsule you can leave something in the spot.
Reconnect, old friends on facebook, send out newsletters. A psychological advantage to feeling better is to fill up your social calendar a month ahead of time. It helps mentally to focus on the upcoming events to have something to look forward to. Spring is around the corner.
Get a massage, sit in a hot tub, soak your tired bones. Go to church, grow spiritually in this New Year. Your soul needs to be warmed up as well. Just like our bodies our soul can grow cold and prayer is a means of dealing with the winter blues.
Don’t be like the groundhog and hide from your shadow the rest of the winter.
Marianne loves to help people reach their goals: through direction, accountability, and years of experiencing what works and what doesn't.
"Her drive and enthusiasm shows how passionate she is about coaching and in empowering and helping others move forward." -- Carole Cowperthwaite O'Hagen, Executive Coach and Trainer
I like the idea of feeling your calendar with social events a month in advance. I do like to pray to get through the winter blues. Thanks for thinking of me, Marieanne.