When the time of year comes around to wind our clocks forward, and our days grow shorter, it’s easy to become a little sad. There’s something distinctly depressing about walking out of school or work to find that the skies are already dark. It feels as if you never got to experience the day. With your chapped lips and red-tipped fingers, the sun sounds more welcoming than ever (even if a few months ago- your pit-stains stinking to high heaven- you were swearing off that damned ball of heat).
Even with the store windows cheerfully decorated in red and green and the Christmas movie specials on TV, winter can feel like a drag; a long series of short days filled with doubled-layered pants and mumbling, grumbling heaters. Without the benefit of sunlight streaming through the window and begging you to go outside, it can be difficult to motivate yourself to do anything but hibernate in these winter months.
But hibernate as you might, the winter blues will only take more of a toll. When you find yourself huddled under a blanket, uninspired by the TV show droning on in front of you, remember the little things that you can do that will make your day feel a little brighter. Pull your scarves and gloves out of your closet and take a walk around the prettiest parts of your neighborhood. Take a moment to let your frigid fingers remind you that you are present in this moment, and watch the shape that your breath takes as it mingles with the air.
Heat up some hot chocolate and let it roll around in your belly. Turn up the music and listen to some of your old favorites. Bake cookies. Ask your family or roommate to bake with you, and if they’re not up for it, use that extra space in the kitchen to slide across the floor in your socks. Go out to the thrift store and buy yourself a jacket that makes you feel like a movie star (you know, that jacket you’ve always wanted with the big buttons and fur collar). Lie down and re-read your favorite book from when you were a kid (whether it be Junie B. Jones or Captain Underpants, The Lightning Thief or Shel Silverstein). Sort through your desk and re-organize yourself, or break out your ice skates and take a friend to a local skating rink.
In these winter months, it’s difficult to stay active and excited about life, and that’s why it’s essential to dedicate some time to yourself. Do the things that make you feel alive and excited. Hang out around people that make you laugh. If you feel the winter blues settling in your limbs, take a deep breath, a hot shower, and dress yourself in an outfit that makes you feel spectacular.