Seven Ways to Beat the Winter Blues
If you live in the Midwest, you completely understand how the shortest month of the year can feel like the longest. Skies are overcast, snow no longer looks fresh, and dusk still settles in before dinner. And if good old Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow on Groundhog’s Day like he did this year, we’re in for six more weeks of winter. As I’m writing this, the third snow advisory in less than a week has just ended for the city of St. Paul. They don’t call it MinneSNOWta for nothing…
The short days, cold temps, and seemingly endless snow can leave you feeling like spring will never get here. Often called the “winter blues”, a lot of people experience mild symptoms of depression: restlessness, sadness, lack of motivation, etc. There’s a reason many people from the Midwest book trips to warm-weather destinations this time of year. However, there are many things you can do to beat the winter blues without stepping foot on an airplane.
Plan a Staycation
Can’t afford to go somewhere warm and tropical? So many of my friends have been taking trips to California, Florida, and Arizona but there’s just not room in my budget or schedule right now. Every Instagram photo or Facebook post of poolside selfies and palm trees makes me slightly more envious. As much as I’m dreaming of sandy beaches and fruity drinks, I’d be just as excited for a mini vacay and some “me time”. Try hunting for a good deal at a local hotel and “get away” for the night or booking a spa day. Sometimes just staying in a new place or pampering yourself can help give you some of those same feel-good vacation vibes. Still out of your budget? Invite your friends over for an afternoon/evening of tropical drinks, face masks, and DIY mani/pedis while watching your favorite beach-themed movie.
Incorporate Spring Styles into your Wardrobe
The benefit of all those people posting vacation photos? The stores have begun selling their spring collections for all those beach-goers! Just wearing new spring clothes always gives me an extra boost and makes me feel like spring is on the way. Some of the spring 2018 style trends I can’t wait to start wearing are romantic florals, trench coats, sheer fabrics, and the color lavender. Layering a soft, cozy sweater over a romantic floral top is the perfect winter-to-spring transition. I’m already seeing lavender popping up in shops everywhere from lightweight sweaters to sheer, silky blouses. Many of these pieces are perfect for brightening up your winter wardrobe but will be equally as wearable on cool spring/summer evenings.
Practice Hygge at Home
For me, the hardest part of winter in the Midwest is the feeling that it will never end. One of the few comforts I find in these cold, snowy months is the practice of cozy comfort. Hygge has been a growing trend this season in the US so you’ve probably heard of it even if you didn’t know what it meant. A lifestyle for Scandinavians, hygge is a Danish word that means “a quality of coziness and comfort that conveys a feeling of contentment or well-being”. For me, I picture practicing hygge as making my surroundings feel like a big, comforting hug. So put on your coziest sweater and socks, dim your lights, wrap yourself up in a soft blanket, curl up by a fire, and get hygge with it.
Create a Spring/Summer Bucket List
Sometimes on the snowiest days, even having something to look forward to helps! What are all of the things you wish you could be doing but it’s too cold/windy/snowy outside for? A few of my favorites here in Minnesota are the State Fair, Minnesota Twins games, and Fourth of July weekend at the family cabin. I LOVE planning fun things for my family and friends to do so creating “bucket lists” is one of my favorite activities. Start looking into spring and summer festivals you want to attend, research fun runs with unique gimmicks, plan a group outing to a baseball game with a fun theme night, organize a backyard Olympics and enlist your friends to help you brainstorm different Olympic events…having a fun spring/summer plan will make it seem like it’s just around the corner!
Add Touches of Spring to your Home
Sunny days, the smell of green grass, and blooming flowers are the first things I think of when I imagine signs of spring. Being able to incorporate any of these into my apartment at the end of winter are an almost immediate mood booster. There are few things I love more than fresh cut flowers and just having them in my apartment makes me happier. Scent also has strong associations so pack up those woodsy candles and swap them for fresh linen, lilac, or other light, fresh scents. Add pops of pastel or lighten up your color scheme with vases, throw pillows, lightweight blankets, and bedding.
Hit the Gym
In the words of Elle Woods, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.” While she was trying to explain why her client couldn’t have killed her husband, the same can be said for beating the winter blues. While driving through snow and slush to get to the gym doesn’t always sound appealing, I’ve never regretted a single workout. I’m also still feeling a little soft from my holiday indulgences and not quite ready to bare more skin in sleeveless tops, dresses without tights, and shorts. So while others are hitting the beach, I’m taking advantage of the few extra months to increase my endorphins and work on my summer bod.
Embrace it!
No matter how many times it snows, it seems like kids are always excited for it. Why? Because they see it as another opportunity to get out and play in it! At some point, we grow up and by the end of the season, we are tired of the shoveling, icy roads, bad traffic, and so on. But what if we embraced it like when we were younger? The next time it snows, forget the shoveling and build a snowman. Get your friends together and hit the nearest hill for sledding or snow tubing. Learn a new winter activity like curling. You can’t be depressed by winter if you’re too busy enjoying it! In the meantime, I’ll be here making snow angels in my front yard and practicing my triple toe loop…
What do you do to fight the winter blues? What are your favorite winter activities? What do you most look forward to about spring and summer?
