Throughout the blistering cold winter months, it is easy to feel as though you are in a rut.
Temperatures dropping well below zero degrees, furnaces kick into high gear, and vehicles whistle as the engine roars after sitting in the cold for too long. It feels like there is no end in sight, and all we want to do is cozy up in the comfort of our own homes in front of a fireplace, binge watching a familiar television show; bringing comfort and peace.
Whether you are feeling this way or not, here are some helpful tips to get you through the deep freeze season.
- Allow yourself to slow down. Take time to work on yourself, and give attention to tasks that you may have been putting off. As cliché as it might sound, self care is so important for your mental health; take a bath, read a book, reorganize your closet, deep clean your refrigerator- do things that calm you.
- Plan activities outdoors. There are numerous activities to enjoy by yourself, or with friends and family during the snowy season. Take a trip to the mountains, go ice skating on your favourite ODR, gather up a group and go tobogganing, build a fire, or build a snowman. Just remember to bundle up and enjoy!
- Focus on fine-tuning a hobby. Hobbies such as baking are excellent skills to master that everyone can enjoy, make it an interactive activity for your friends and family to 'taste-test' your latest creations. Get inspired by using tools such as Pinterest to learn how to make fancy hot toddy's, and enjoy a cozy night in experimenting. Another hobby I have recently picked up is learning how to make chunky knit blankets; these are so much fun to make, and I have self-taught with the help of YouTube.
- Lastly, a great asset to turn into a daily ritual is journalling. It doesn't have to be a drawn out memoir of every little detail of your life, rather, dedicate 10-15 minutes per day to jot down how you're feeling, what the weather is like outside, what you're hoping to accomplish in the next couple of days, and reflect on gratitude towards things in your life. After a few months, you can go back and reflect on the things that you had written down, and hoepfully you can see the growth along the way.
Just remember, the days may seem to be going by slow, but the weeks go by fast. Enjoy the moments of the snowflakes falling from the sky, as it blankets the frosty ground.
Pay attention to the details, take time to slow down, and we will get through the season of the winter blues.