Fighting Back Against the Winter Blahs

by Kelly

The Christmas decorations are all packed away.  The twinkle lights are in plastic storage bins down in the basement. My girl is back at university.  For me, the novelty of winter has completely worn off. 

Sometimes it can be a real challenge for me to stay motivated and inspired this time of year...what with the dreary, gray skies and bitter cold.  If I'm not vigilant, the winter blahs will come creeping up on me.  And so for that reason, I have come up with my own ways to fight back.  Today I thought I might share with a few of the things that have made a difference for me.

1) For me, December is a month long vacation from my typical healthy eating routine.  Too much party food, sugar, wine, etc.  Too much of everything in general is probably more like it.  So it feels good to get back into a good routine of healthy eating.  Nourish my body with what it really needs...and no, it does need a piece of cheesecake.

2) And related to the previous, it also feels good to get back into my normal exercise routine.  Because honestly...I exercise every bit as much for my mental heath as I do for my physical health.  Exercise is a great stress reliever plus it also releases feel-good hormones into our systems.  And I don't know about you, but I could sure use a healthy dose of that.

3) Another important factor in the winter is the sunlight.  Or lack of it.  Lack of vitamin D is linked to seasonal depression, so whenever the sun does finally decide to come out, I'm soaking up as much as possible.  In fact, during the winter months I can often be found sitting at my kitchen table where the light pours in from our french doors.  And even if it's freezing, I'll bundle up and take my dog for a walk around the block.  Because hey...beggars can't be choosers, right.  

4) Each of these three things - diet, exercise, sunlight - does wonders on its own.  But together they work magic on one area of my life where I have the most problem...and that is sleep. Or lack of it.  I struggle with insomnia off and on, but especially when I'm not taking care of my health.  And lack of sleep is one area of my life that really takes a toll on my overall well-being.  So during the winter months, I try to be disciplined about my sleep routine which means limited screen time with all flavors of electronics.

OK.  So now that I'm back on track with my physical health, I also try to nurture my creative health.  I have found that winter is great time to take a class...learn something new.  Or even start a new project.  Last winter is when I started practicing calligraphy and it has been a real joy for me ever since.

This time of year is also great for experimenting with new styles of photography or post-processing. Last weekend, before my girl went back to campus, I twisted her arm for an urban style photoshoot downtown. It was such a fun time with her, but it was also fun playing around in Lightroom and creating a little bit different look with my photos.

This next thing will probably sound a little goofy, but one of the things I try to do is buy fresh flowers to have in my house.  Which does not have to be expensive at all!!  You can get a stem of daisies or these little waxflowers for five dollars.

I don't know...something about having flowers in the house makes me smile.  Their sweetness can brighten the gloomiest of days.  But mostly, these sweet little blossoms remind me that winter is part of the natural order of the seasons.  Winter is part of the ebb and flow of life.  And even if it's not my favorite, winter still has gifts to share.

So for the time being, I'm going to take pictures of my flowers. Maybe practice my calligraphy a little more.  Drink my tea.  But mostly I'm going to try to stop complaining about winter. And try to grateful and remember that it is all good.

I would love to hear from you....what is your best advice for staying inspired and motivated during winter?  Any special tips or techniques?

Until next time,

Kelly