18 WAYS TO GET READY FOR THE WINTER BLUES
If you’re the kind of person whose idea of winter is hibernation, lots of TV and frequent crying, you might suffer from the winter blues. While a little of all that isn’t a bad thing, falling into a seasonal depression can wreak havoc on your life. You can avoid it if you start making changes now, before the sadness seeps in. Since the days are still long (enough), these changes will pay off in the year’s shortest days.
WAKE UP AT SUNRISE
Start by getting up with the sunrise. This maximizes your exposure to the daylight hours. The move also makes you feel less guilty for going to sleep early, which you might have done anyway through winter.
SOFTEN YOUR ANNOYING ALARM
Make waking up a gentle affair. You may have convinced yourself that you need annoying alert sounds to roust you from deep sleep, but studies show a gentle wake-up leaves you feeling more rested, once you do finally stop hitting snooze. Find one that’s pleasant and ever increasing in volume to gently nudge you out of your slumber.
DAILY THANKS
Start your day with a short exercise that beats back the doldrums of cold, slushy mornings: Sit down and give thanks. This can be in whatever form you want—a note on your phone, a document on your laptop, a scrap of paper next to the coffeemaker. Acknowledge five things you have to be thankful for. Then go get started on your day.
SEE YOUR DOCTOR
If you know you get depressed over the winter, go and see your doctor. She may recommend light therapy or even anti-depressants, depending on how severe you say things get as well as your history. If you haven’t had a checkup, that would also be a good time to get some blood work done to make sure your iron and hormone levels aren’t contributing to malaise.
VITAMIN D
Start upping your vitamin D, as low levels have been linked to depression. Ask your doctor to recommend a supplement and take it every night with dinner.
DECLUTTER
A comfortable home is a happy place to return to. A cluttered one can, itself, lead to anxiety. Tackle the mess and spend the next few weeks decluttering your home, especially your bedroom, kitchen and spaces where you spend time in the evenings. You won’t want to haul bags to Goodwill when it’s below zero or when the lack of sunlight has already left you feeling depleted. Get everything ready now.
BRIGHTEN YOUR LIVING SPACE
Dark rooms feel cozy when all is well, but they are down right oppressive when you’re feeling depressed. They may also contribute to your depression, since they absorb, rather than reflect, light that your brain needs to stay awake. Use some time now to repaint your space, or at least trade out the heavy curtains and light-blocking blinds for something that lets every ray of sun pour in.
BREAK OUT THE ESSENTIAL OILS
Half your friends sell essential oils, so why not finally throw some business their way? The claims are often exaggerated, but the truth is that a nice-smelling home can calm and/or energize. Find ones that make you happy and start sprinkling drops on pillows and sheets. Add some drops to loads of laundry or create a room spray by mixing a few drops with filtered water and a clear alcohol like vodka.
WINTER BUCKET LIST
Certain winter activities just look so fun, but getting out the door to go do them is enough to keep you inside. Create a winter bucket list now, and do some of the planning and prep work before the first snow falls. Look into ski lift tickets, buy hiking boots or call up the sporting goods store to see if they rent snow shoes or cross country skis. This year, you’re going to love winter. Or at least like it a little.
STARTING EXERCISING NOW
Start exercising now so it’s not something new that you have to figure out when motivation is at its lowest. It doesn’t matter what you do, but make sure you’re moving your body at least 20 minutes every day.
START A NEW HOBBY NOW
Winter calls for a new focus, something to engage your mind and leave you feeling accomplished. Since you’re often staying in more than going out, this means it’s the perfect time to start a new hobby. Baking and cake-decorating are great—you get a sweet treat at the end. But learning to code, writing, taking an online class or knitting are also good options. Find something you look forward to, line up the supplies and get started.
LAST PEDICURE, CUT AND SHAVE OF THE SEASON
There’s nothing wrong with a shaving hiatus through the winter months, but how about one last round just before becoming a total shut-in? A haircut and color in early December will carry you through until those first weeks of the new year.
MAKE FRIENDS PLANS NOW
Your friends know you tend to disappear in the colder season, so acknowledge it and tell them you want to make girls’ night out, book club or weekly dinner plans now. Put them in your calendars and set all the alerts. Everyone gets one free, no-questions cancellation, but after that, you’re obliged to show up—even if it’s in a messy bun to the 24-hour diner. You will not disengage this winter.
PREP FOR HEALTHY MEALS
Shopping, chopping, cooking: It all takes extra effort if you’re not feeling it (or anything). Start making (manageable) menu plans now, and get in the habit of prepping and freezing delicious, healthy meals for the week. Budget for carryout and pizza delivery, too, but not every night. You still need your veggies, maybe especially this time of year.
START AN EVENING ROUTINE
Make your bed less something you crawl into for escape and more the last step in a relaxing, affirming night routine. Set a notification to start winding down 30 minutes before your bedtime, at which point you put on a kettle while you wash your face. Then drink your tea, brush your teeth and sit calmly for five minutes. Make the routine however you would like to spend the last half hour of each day.
GO OUTSIDE AT LEAST ONCE A DAY
Create a routine that gets you outside at least once a day. It’s easy when it’s still light at night and warm enough to walk out the door without a jacket. So creating a habit now of soaking up the outside air and fading sunlight will help push you through those last, seemingly endless winter weeks. Fresh air (and nature if you have it) create a connection to the season that can help us embrace it, rather than run from it.
BOOK A WINTER TRIP NOW
Real talk: You’re not going to make it to spring unless you feel the sun beating down on your face at least once during the winter months. So look at your work and family schedule, then book your winter vacation now. Make sure it’s not too early in the season, or so late that you’re fully depressed when the plane finally takes off. Book an all-inclusive vacation so that the only thing you have to worry about is making sure you packed sunscreen and your swimsuit.
LEARN TO MEDITATE
We’re constantly implored to practice mindfulness and meditation. The promised benefits are dreamy. But both take practice, and you’re more likely to stick with it if you start learning it now. Then, when you really need it, you’ll be ready.
