It’s Been A Blue Winter, How I’m Coping This Season
Hello Friends and welcome to the blog today!
It’s Monday, I hope everyone had a great weekend. The weather hasent’s been great in my next of the woods, so I hope you are able to enjoy some winter activities, some good comfort food, and setting your goals for 2023.
Rewind back to a few years and I never understood why people were sad in the winter or had (what I now know as) the “winter blues”. It’s only over the past 2 years that I’ve come to understand what that means. It’s hard being single during this time and although I’ve been single for several years, something about this year really hit home.
Granted it’s winter so the weather is not always on our side. I could even do a sunny day and 30 degrees, but having shorter daylight hours can be pretty isolating. Days seem to run into one another as that holiday feeling has worn off and the new year has set in.
This Christmas may have been the first one where I felt sadness. It’s not uncommon but I’ve never experienced it. I’ve always remained positive no matter what was happening and that holiday feeling eclipsed all my sad emotions. Of course, the lack of a good night’s sleep also adds to this load.
Today I wanted to share a few things I’m attempting to shake the blues and make myself feel better. I also hope this helps you if you’re experiencing the same things.
The HomeAfter all the mini trees, and twinkle lights were gone everything seemed bare. January has been the “sell it”, or “donate it” month. I’ve been working hard to make my small space work better by deleting things that we don’t need. Over the past few weeks, I’ve come to appreciate the bare minimum. It’s a clean slate with no additional decorations aside from art, and books. I like having these spaces clear as a perspective for the new year. This also lightens my mood and helps that blue feeling. |
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ReadingReading has always been my escape from my headspace, and there is no limit to the genres or subjects that I read. I favor horror, mystery, or crime, but I can do self-help if I found it beneficial. I also enjoy listening to an audiobook due to their versatility. It’s easy to listen to on my commute, while I work or clean my house, and I can get through books a lot quicker as I’m a slow reader. I’ve been taking advantage of the Libby app for audiobooks as I don’t want to pay for a subscription so definitely check it out if you’re looking for a free option. |
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ProjectsProjects (for me) are a great distraction and my home or personal space benefits from whatever I do. Because I rent there are not too many things I can tackle with the exception of paint. I’ve got 12-foot ceilings so I’m not talking about painting my entire house. What’s more approachable is wall by wall. Meaning that high-traffic areas or places that are touched frequently get a new fresh coat. I’ve also been filling in some knicks that were made by the movers 2 years ago. It’s a slow process but when you’re painting you really can’t focus on anything else. |
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BakingBaking is another thing that’s (sorta) new to me, but it’s one of those things that bring me joy. I always have the ingredients in my pantry, and cookies are really easy to make. I typically only bake for the holidays, but carrying this into the new year lifts my spirits and takes me out of my rut. |
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YouTubeWho doesn’t love the “University of YouTube.” Yes..there is A LOT of crap to weed through but every once in a while you find a gem. I (originally) stumbled across this YouTuber while looking at HGTV’s YouTube Channel but then discovered that he had his own. Rajiv Surendra is a Canadian actor, artist, and writer. You may remember him from Mean Girls (2004). His simplistic yet elegant lifestyle videos teach you how to entertain, take care of your home and take pride in the simplistic. Granted I don’t need anyone to show me how to clean but looking at a different perspective is absolutely (in short) refreshing. |
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With that, I’ll end here today. I hope just these 5 simple things can help you or someone you know out of that Winter blues. Sometimes just the smallest thing or the smallest gesture can mean so much to someone that’s struggling
Thanks so much for visiting the blog and don’t forget to follow and subscribe. – Happy New Year!
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