HOW TO OVERCOME THE WINTER BLUES
Many people are affected by the winter blues. Find out how to beat the blues with our uplifting blog!
Overcoming the Winter Blues
–Think ahead, keep warm, don’t get blue!
Winter blues are a tough thing to handle. When it comes to January, we can often feel deflated and empty. We take the decorations down. Even if we leave the decorations up, we are aware they don’t feel the same as they did. Outside its cold and gets dark early. Where we perhaps once felt abundance and joy, we now feel barren and bereft.
In January and February in the northern hemisphere, many people also suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). This is a real problem and not just an illusion. And SAD makes people feel sad! It often begins in January and lasts until the Springtime. This can lead to feelings of fatigue, lethargy, pessimism, even a type of depression.
But you don’t necessarily have to suffer from SAD to be sad in the winter months, or to feel generally unhappy, or that the winter blues are upon you! And, there are ways to stay optimistic, before you allow yourself to fall into that place of desolation and despair.
Here are some key things to consider for the year ahead:
LITTLE THINGS TO LOOK FORWARDS TO
Even if this is just a small treat, such as your favourite drink or a place where you like to visit, try to think positive thoughts. Quite often, when we have had a huge build-up of excitement and celebration, we can suddenly feel as if we are without meaning afterwards. However, the Winter sees a time where we can look more deeply into ourselves. We can feel comfortable with being just ourselves, rather than feeling we have to be like everybody else.
Winter enables us to seek the essence within, so that our inner selves have some time to replenish and prepare for the Spring. Allowing yourself some time and space deserves a reward. Just by sticking to a routine, reward yourself through pampering, catching up with a friend, or making or hanging a new picture up.
INTRODUCE HAPPINESS TO BEAT THE WINTER BLUES!
Although Winter feels isolated, we can really harness the things that we adore. Our pets for example can keep us happy and our new daily activities that we might aspire towards. Now Christmas is over, it’s a new chapter, a clean slate. Think about the endless possibilities that await! Give yourself something to look forwards to by writing down a list of things you want! (A bit like a Christmas list, only New Years list!). You might want to re-evaluate it every three months. You may be surprised at just how much you have attained within a small period of time! It’s all so doable! Are you going to join a new class? Travel more, change your job? Take a walk and feel the crisp, fresh air! Have a think, then come back and write a list, or add to an existing one.
WINTER BLUES: YOU’RE NOT ALONE!
One reason we can feel down is the huge amount of advertising or social media activity we are subject to in January. But bear in mind, this is exactly what it is. You are not missing out! Advertisers have to work twice as hard after the Festive Season is over, and often there is a slow start to things like the car market and the housing market. Also, most people have often had enough chocolate and drinks over Christmas. So advertisers tend to bombard us with whatever they can, so they do not suffer enormous losses at the start of every year. Of course, many people also have less money at the beginning of the year too, so it is possible to feel a lack.
Naturally, we are inside more in the winter time and what other people post on social media can have us feeling the winter blues if others post happy stuff. On the other hand, if people grumble we can sympathise with them and feel unhappy too. Note how if you have the winter blues, you can be affected all ways round. But simply knowing this can help you overcome these feelings.
Lots of people feel the winter blues, but not everybody puts their finger on this. Knowing what you know gives you an upper hand and you may be able to give another needy person some useful winter blues advice. That is guaranteed to warm everybody’s heart!
SAD SUN TRICKS
One reason that we can feel less than happy in the winter months is also simply due to a lack of Sun light. Shorter hours, less light, less sunny days. But actually, we can really be affected when we don’t get enough vitamin D from the Sun. Again, make the most of this if you can, and get outside on a sunny day. There are also sunlamps available for sale and some people find that taking vitamin D3 supplements can really help. Magnesium is also important to beat fatigue, so consider having your levels checked, or a cure on this as well.
The Cold air can also more easily propagate colds. Enjoying wrapping up to go out. Investing in a new scarf or some earmuffs, can help give us a will and create happiness in facing the cold. And it can encourage us to go out for a little walk too! Being greeted home with a hot toddy, naughty hot chocolate or delicious fresh lemon and honey drink can also give moments of happiness, where you are also caring for yourself. And of course, food wise there are many hearty winter dishes to enjoy.
REALISTIC GOALS TO GET GOING!
It’s all too easy to assume we must “do this or do that” in the New Year. But in reality, if we set ourselves illogical goals we can’t reach, we just cause ourselves unnecessary stress. For example, a study proved that setting extremely challenging goals could further decrease self-confidence and create more anxiety. Candidates were chosen to complete “vague experimental goals.” The end results of this suggested that in the treatment condition, an increase in cognitive anxiety and a reduction in self-confidence accompanied increasing goal difficulty.
New Year’s Resolutions are not imperative . If you genuinely feel optimistic about setting yourself a goal that is within your bounds, then of course do it! Because goals can have tremendous and satisfactory results. But it is also important to remember that we can actually set ourselves a goal and achieve it at anytime of the year.
It’s not always a good move to set yourself challenging goals if you are already feeling some form of Winter blues. It can be conducive to select what you decide to buy into, with regards to conversations about “goals, ” or friends informing you that they are doing something. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that means you have to do something too! Only do something because you want to, not because you feel you have to! If we assign ourselves tasks we have no genuine interest in completing, it is inevitable we will end up feeling worse by the end of it.
SIMPLE IS BEST
Simple is always a good bet! So, we can instead think about positive goals. If for example, you want to improve your confidence, then perhaps signing up for a crash course is not the best idea and could add to overload. Instead you could try something in baby steps such as: “I will do my affirmations once a day.” Or, “I will spend more time with friends.” Or “I will take up a new hobby”. Discover more about easy goal setting here.
We often assume January is the come down and low down of all we have built up over Christmas. But it really isn’t the case, if we just allow ourselves to see ahead. If you manage to keep everything in check, you won’t make the mistake of falling into a trap of unrealistic expectations from both yourself and others. We have the God-given privilege to choose, and to see life how we want to. We can choose to look at January as an infinite array of possibilities. A clearing from a void or set back, an adventure that empowers us and supports us and a gateway into new creative ideas.
KNOW YOUR LIMITS!
Always know your limits. It’s honestly a great way to help with the winter blues. Only you know what you can and can’t do. Using any wisdom, you gained in 2021 can help you move forwards into 2022. Your own knowledge is the power to your success alongside what you read and learn. Never underestimate the psychic within you, we all have the ability to tap into this. It is a case of simply sitting still and asking ourselves what we are really capable of.
If you have never walked up a mountain or taken up fitness, then climbing mount Everest will certainly be an unrealistic challenge! Instead, think about what is first of all within your range, what makes you feel successful as a person! Once you start to succeed, you then naturally start to evolve and are able to reach higher, with the sky being the limit. Nearly all achievements in life are done out of passion, because we want to and we believe we can do it! Follow your heart and your soul, because your soul knows the way.
SHINE YOU LITTLE STAR!
If you follow what makes your soul shine, then you too will shine! What we feel from inside inevitably shows on the outside. Whatever we feed our minds and bodies with, are the things that we are going to have to deal with. Spend time to nurture and cherish your body and your mind. Be gentle and careful with it, like you would a small, fluffy animal. Take care of yourself in the same way you would take care of your loved ones. And then, all those little seeds will start to sprout into big beautiful flowers!
THE WINTER BLUES ARE BEAT!
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