5 Ideas to Conquer Your Winter Blahs

Hey there!

Yes, it’s been quite a while since I’ve posted.

You know I don’t love excuses, and I’m not going to offer one here.

But I’ve learned from not having written in some time, how much I really love writing this blog.  It’s one of my favorite parts of the work I do.

The thing is, I recently I went back to a full-time day job.

And although I’m good with it, it did mean letting go of part of my business.  And that was tough.

But I didn’t give it all up.

I’m still teaching my evening Boot Camp and Yoga classes and coaching clients remotely.

And now, I’m bringing back my blog.

Onward…

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It’s been a tough winter here in Eastern Canada.

We’ve had long days of extreme cold, alternated with days of huge dumpings of snow, alternated with ice and rain.

And I find that I’m feeling the effects of it more than ever.

Physically I’m tired and getting over a cold, and emotionally I feel like curling up on the sofa and watching the Olympics 24-7.

I know it’s kind of common to feel like this in winter, but because of the extreme weather, I think it’s even more pronounced.

Are you feeling this way too?

Well, personally, I’ve kind of gotten fed up with it, and I’m ready to get over this winter already!

Here’s what I’ve begun doing to pull myself out of this funk:

Get Outside

Even if it means getting into my 80s-style snow-pants and my warmest, mis-matched winter gear.

I know that for me, there’s no replacement for getting outside every single day.

And it’s first on my list because I believe that this one thing alone can help cure feeling blue at this time of year.

I know, it’s tough to motivate yourself to get out the door at -25 Celsius, or into the rain, or snow, but it is worth it, even for just a few minutes.

Dress yourself appropriately from head to toe, then walk out the door.

Warning:  Getting ready to go out there may go against every cell on your body.   Your mind may protest like a 3 year-old that it’s too cold, too wet, or you’re too tired or too sick to be out there.

So be the adult, recognize the excuses when you hear them, and just go.

The first benefit of getting outside the front door is that your problems will appear to shrink.

Problems that seem big indoors, when you’re bounded on all sides by walls and a roof, shrink when you bring them outdoors where the only boundaries are the earth and sky.

The next benefit is that you’ll be doing your hormones a huge favor.

Your circadian rhythm benefits from daily exposure to the outdoors, especially sunlight.  It balances the release of hormones in your body, which will make you feel less tired and can even help you lose excess weight.

Another great benefit of daylight is the dose of Vitamin D it gives you. 

Vitamin D has been shown to help prevent illnesses like cancer, osteoporosis, and depression.

Finally, there’s also scientific evidence that just being in natural environments, like forests, helps reduce your stress and fatigue.

Get active

Of course you know that moving your body is great for you physically, but did you know it has an amazing effect on your brain too?

In fact, here are some of the hormonally uplifting effects that you’ll feel from getting more active:

Better sleep, a lighter mood, and reduces depression (thanks serotonin!)

More alertness and focus (norepinephrine, you’re amazing!)

Increased motivation and pleasure (that’s why they say dopamine is dope!)

Less pain and stress (endorphins keep us on an even keel)

Get colorful

Ever notice that when color comes back to your environment, your energy picks up?

The green leaves and grass, the colorful flowers, the blue sky.  They all make you feel more energized.

But in winter, we tend fore-go color in favor of drabby-chic.

From our wardrobe to our food, brightness is replaced with muted earthy tones like browns, greys, black, and maybe some deep greens or purples.

A little somber, don’t you think?

Why not add a punch of unexpected color to your winter look?

Add bright reds, greens, yellows, and oranges to your outfits, and pay attention to the reaction you get not only from those around you, but also when you look in the mirror.

I guarantee this will lift your mood.

And what about your food?

Yes, we tend to crave comfort when it comes to food in winter:  stews, pastas, chilies, and soups.

These are all great by the way, but why not mix up those “heavier” foods with some light, colorful fare like salads or raw veggies, or fruit?

Eating lighter can enlighten your mood and your body too.

Get social

Does winter bring out the bear in you?

If you’re like me, you tend to want to hibernate, wrapped up in the comfort of a cozy blanket, in front of a fireplace if you’re lucky.

Although this isn’t necessarily a bad thing – I’m quite the introvert and enjoy doing this with a good book – but doing too much of it can make you feel more tired, lazy, and disconnected.

The cure is to once again give yourself a little nudge and reach out to people you enjoy spending time with – in person.

Go have coffee or tea (or hot chocolate) with a good friend, or invite others over for a potluck meal, or get outdoors and go skiing or snowshoeing with your buddies.

Connecting with others every so often during the long winter months can give you more energy, make you feel less lonely, and help you feel less stressed.

Get zen

For the past 2 weeks or so, I’ve been down with a cold.

It’s literally been bringing me down.

So, I decided to lift myself up with meditation.

For me, I know sitting still and meditating always works to lift me up, but I’m not always so consistent.

So, since I subscribe to the HeadSpace app, I’ve been using it to track my daily meditations, and doing that has actually kept me consistent… 20 days and counting!

And the guy’s calming British accent doesn’t hurt either.

So each day, usually in the morning, I do a meditation from the app, anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes. That’s it.

But just that small investment in time pays dividends to the rest of my day.

It sets the tone, and helps bring me back to the fact that I’m part of something much bigger that just me, and that I’m connected to it all.

This may sound woo-woo to some of you, and that’s ok, I get that meditation’s not for everyone.

But if you’re willing to give it a go, try the app to begin with and then see where it leads.

And let me know!

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So how do you lift yourself out of the winter blahs?

I’d love to hear about one thing you do that works for you, and please share it on this blog.  It may just help someone else.

 

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Coming up soon…

Stay tuned because coming in the next few weeks is a new Challenge.

I haven’t offered a Challenge in a while so I’m really looking forward to this one.

It will begin on Monday, March 12th and end on the first day of spring, March 21st.

I call it the 10-day Build Up to Spring Challenge.

It will be 10 days of dusting the cobwebs off, and it will get your body ready for this fresh, new season.

You’ll start the Challenge with one simple exercise delivered to your inbox on the first day.

From there, you’ll get a fresh, new, effective exercise to add on each day.

Before you know it, you’ll have built momentum and a great full body workout that you can use whenever you want.

And it’s free.

Hope you can join me!  Details to come.

In the meantime, keep moving forward my friend,

Debbie