6 Things To Do That Beat The Winter Blues

The days may be grey, but you don’t have to be…

Well, it is officially “that time of the year”. The holiday season is finished; the magic of picturesque snowfall has dwindled. Sequin dresses have been put away, and the majority of new years resolutions have been left in the dust already. There is officially NOTHING to look forward to until the warm sunshine kisses our skin once more. The skies are grey and dreary, the ground is damp, and the reality that life is a little bit more mundane has set in. This time of the year can be hard to thrive in. The winter routine has set in, and sometimes it can feel like you’re just going through the motions. Escaping the winter blues for a week to recharge your batteries, and sanity does a world of good, but a beach getaway might not be in the cards for everybody. So just in case you can’t take a vacation tomorrow, here are six things you can do to lift your spirit, and beat the winter blues that don’t involve boarding a plane.

Read a book
Reading is a great way to escape that doesn’t involve looking at a screen until your eyes burn. So before you turn on your Netflix account, and find yourself in a wormhole between viewings of Bird Box, and trying to navigate your home blindfolded, try picking up a book instead. Reading exercises your brain, and since you can’t mindlessly scroll through Instagram, and read a book at the same time, you stay focused on the story. If you don’t have the attention span for a book right now (that’s totally ok), magazines work too.

Clean out your closet
Cleaning up your space in general, lightens the room, and makes a more clear, and bright space for you to live in. I know I just advised you against streaming, but Marie Kondo might be on to something. If you’ve got a day to yourself, consider taking some time to organize your closet. If it doesn’t bring you joy, get rid of it! Pass it on to a friend, donate to a women’s shelter. There are endless good deeds you can do with your old clothes. Not only will you have a cleaner space, but you’ll also feel good at the end of it.

Do a D.I.Y
Now that your space is clear and bright, and everything in it brings you joy, spruce up some old décor, or make something new to look at. It doesn’t have to be a huge, complicated craft. Go at your own pace. Crafting can be a calming activity that actually relaxes you in the moment that you’re doing it. Websites like Pinterest have a lot of amazing ideas for every skill level. And the feeling of having accomplished something, even as small as a craft, can brighten up the gloomiest day.

Go on a walk
It sounds simple, but a lot of us don’t realize how much time we spend inside during the winter months. Without the sun shining, and the temperature just right outside, the great outdoors doesn’t do much to entice us to come out. Taking some time (even as little as 15 minutes) to take a walk outside can do great things to relax your brain. Granted it’s not during the middle of a blizzard of course.

Check on your friends
Okay, real talk. A lot of people are affected by the seasonal change, especially in the winter months. The days seem shorter, and we leave for work, and come home in the dark (gross). It can be a really tough time of the year for a lot of us. We all need to get into the practice of reaching out to our friends, (myself included). If you find that you’re feeling a similar way, talk about it together, and figure out ways to help each other, and then get into the habit of doing this all year round.

Do something outside your comfort zone
Like I said before, a lot of us fall into routines, and go through the motions just trying to make it through the day. Challenge yourself to try something new every once in a while. Pushing yourself outside your comfort zone motivates you to continue wanting to try new things. Whether it’s foods, types of music, hobbies (maybe even a D.I.Y project), you never know what you might like or be good at until you try it. My parents used to tell me this all the time growing up and it used to annoy me but it’s true you guys. Don’t tell them I said that though. Don’t let the winter blues win this year. And if none of these seem to work for you, there’s no shame in booking a flight somewhere warm, and hiding out there until the sunshine returns here.