Is It Spring Yet? Oh…it’s WAY too early to be asking that question, isn’t it? I am so grateful the last two days looked like this. And warm??? Oh, my! It got up to the high 50’s yesterday. I can take winter much better if we get days like this interspersed with the gray, gloomy ones. Winter can make me feel old. One of my fellow Sister glamping friends on FB just started training to walk the Pacific Rim Trail. I’m like, “I can make a trail from my couch to my fridge to my bed, thank you very much!” I know I’m needing some exercise when it takes multiple attempts to hoist myself out of a low slung chair. Oh, I’m not all that bad, really…but when I eat at 4:30 and call it dinner, it makes me feel older than my age. I want to crawl into bed at 6:00 and read till midnight. I know winter is designed to make us rest as the world rests. Rest is one thing. Crawling in a hole and pulling it in after you is something altogether different. Must….resist….the urge….to hibernate!!!

Here are 5 Quick Tips for Beating Winter Blues

• 1) Get Some Sun – Take advantage of every sunny day! They may be few and far between, but don’t let one of these precious gems pass you by. If it’s too cold and slippery to go out for a walk, find a south facing window, roll up the shades, and sit in the sun for awhile. Magic!
• 2) Take Care of Your Skin – The skin is the largest organ of the body. Treat it with respect! Find a nice sugar scrub and exfoliate all over then follow with a rich moisturizer. Pay special attention to knees, elbows, feet and hands. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Remember to keep up your water intake. Avoid harsh detergents and wear rubber gloves when cleaning.
• 3) Proper Sleep Hygiene – Sleep cycles get screwy in the winter with the long nights. Use a light therapy box in the early morning hours to get you up and going so you aren’t tempted to languish in bed too late. Nothing feels better than crawling in bed when the sun goes down and dive into a good book. But reading into the night on an electronic device can mess with your sleep patterns. Put the book, reader, tablet, phone, or laptop down at least 30 minutes before you want to go to sleep. Try warm milk with a splash of sugar-free vanilla syrup, or vanilla extract and Stevia sweetener, in it as an alternative to hot cocoa. The sugar and caffeine in the hot chocolate can effect sleep negatively.
• 4) Eat Lighter, Earlier – Heavy food is comfort food, until you have to lay down with a too full tummy. Try eating earlier and choose lighter versions of your favorite winter recipes. Save the heavier, spicier foods like chili and spaghetti for lunch on the weekends. If you do end up with indigestion from those calorie laden meals, try seltzer water with a wedge of lime squeezed in it and a splash of Angostura Bitters. Very soothing and refreshing.
• 5) Joyful Planning – One of the best things I ever have done for myself since losing Mr. Virgo is making it a point to plan fun events for the coming months so I always have something joyful to look forward to. One of my friends and I regularly text this to each other…”Quick! Tell me 3 things you’re looking forward to!!!” And we have to respond as soon as we read the text with our 3 things and ask the other for hers. It’s a fun way to stay focused on positives.

Good self-care is never as important as it is in the winter months when Seasonal Affective Disorder can bring on the gloomies. What are you all doing to avoid hibernating?

❤️

““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.””

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV