Beat the Winter Blues

November 01, 2020

However you may be affected by colder and darker skies, the wintertime blahs are real. Some manage the blustery months by staying active. Others may be afflicted with the challenges of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is a type of depression that affects all ages and may require professional support to overcome. Here are 10 things you can do to combat seasonal blues:    

1. Soak up some vitamin D. Don’t forget to get outside for fresh air. Just because it may be cloudy or blustery outside, our bodies can still absorb the daylight’s nutrients. Take a walk during lunch or join friends for some tag in the park.  
2. Cut a rug, get your groove on. Head out for a night on the dance floor, have your own dance party for a night in, or take an exercise class.
3. Throw a tropical party. Be with friends. Heat up the house, serve up your favorite summer treats, and put on summer clothes.
4. Get that warm, fuzzy feeling. Play cards with a senior, cook dinner for a sick friend, or anonymously donate a gift certificate to someone who’s struggling to make ends meet.
5. Try something silly. Be spontaneous—do something to break up your routine: Blow bubbles, skip to your car, walk for hours in the rain, or splash in the puddles.
6. Initiate a new winter family tradition. Book a vacation at a snowy lodge, start a game night, or chill out with a movie classic.
7. Create a change of pace. Rearrange your furniture, freshen up your workspace, or rethink your kitchen’s color scheme. 
8. Be a kid again—play! Watch cartoons or old comedy favorites, or go to a playground and mess around on the swings or jungle gym.
9. Nerd out on a new (or old) hobby. Silence all critics. Be you with crazy abandon. Create an original: spin pottery, make a funny video, plug in the band saw, or take out the knitting needles.
10. Indulge in creature comforts. Treat yourself to a massage, manicure, or pedicure.

 

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