Six Things to Kick Winter Blues
It was 23˚ in Nashville, Tennessee yesterday morning. I sat on the couch, drinking my coffee and gazed outside, as the giant snow flakes fell. Four days ago, I was sitting by a pool in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, in 85˚ worrying about whether or not I was putting on enough zinc to protect my skin. Now, I’m in cold weather, snow even. I covered up with a fuzzy, white blanket. I had exactly 23 minutes before my morning would start; and it was at that moment of counting the minutes until I would open my computer, I realized that this was the first full week I would work since before Christmas and it. seemed. daunting.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE my job and I literally JUST took a week vacation so if there is someone who has no right to complain, it’s me. But, I think it’s the monotony of a routine that I have a love / hate relationship with. Because, when I don’t have a routine, I want one, but when I have one, I don’t want one. It feels like January is forever long and the cold, gloomy weather reminds me that I’ll be inside for most of the upcoming months. BUT, fear not because I came up with six things to help kick your winter doldrums.
Read a book. Okay, hear me out, this seems taxing, right? Wrong. It will help you exercise your mind, imagination, and increase brain power as well as exposure to vocabulary. If done correctly, you’ll put your phone down or pause the Netflix. Reading a book can be such an escape, even if you do it for 30 mins - 1 hour. You can always come back to stressful emails, texts, or even a flick, if you’d like. Add a hot chocolate and blanket in there, too, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a good afternoon or evening.
Plan a date night / girl’s night. This is perhaps one of my favorite pastimes. A trick I learned from Kait is to find a list of questions online, (there is everything under the sun), to ask one another during dinner, about things you’ve never discussed before. I guarantee that this will lead you down a rabbit hole of many conversations to follow. But, it’s such a fun way to get to know your mate or friends in new ways.
Cook something new. There are so many outlets these days within social media. I love to scroll through Tasty videos and learn new tips and tricks, as well as, new comfort food recipes to execute. Not only are you trying something new, it’s the season of cheese, casseroles and heaviness. Shoutout to my Midwest peeps!
Treat yo self. Book an evening manicure, pedicure, and/or massage. Make it for after work when you know the day is done and you can rest easy until the next morning. Clear your mind and take time out to do something nice for yourself.
Take a bath. I’m not talking about any old bath. I’m talking a boujie bath, ladies. Light those candles, throw that bath bomb in the water, put on your favorite hits and hit the deck. Your bath time will be off the chain and the best part? It’s so dang cold out and it will help relax your body and mind before you lay down for the night.
Game night. Round up your favorite people, have everyone bring in a snack or appetizer, make a cheeseboard or some ham & swiss sliders on Hawaiian rolls, grab some wine and have fun with some games. Uno, Cards Against Humanity, What Do You Meme, Catan, the possibilities are endless.
In the seemingly endless gloom of winter, it’s easy to feel seasonally depressed, but sometimes if you peel your peepers off those screens or relinquish those common anxieties even for an hour, you can come back more refreshed and light hearted. What do you do to curb the doldrums!?