Winter is at the halfway point here and for many of us the winter blues have really kicked in. (If you’re somewhere warm, I’m a little jealous of you right now). When the sun is hiding and the rain is pouring like the end of days it can be hard to get yourself into a lighthearted mood that helps everyone feel happier in your home. Because miserable and grumpy aren’t nice things to feel, here are 10 ways that we can beat the winter blues.
10 ways to beat the winter blues:
- Rug up and get outside – It feels a little silly to leave the comfort of the heater to get outside in the cold, but crisp, fresh air can do wonders for your well being. Get on your winter coat, gloves and a beanie and take a brisk walk around the block at least. If nothing else it will get some oxygen to your brain and make you thankful for the heater again.
- Make a winter treat box – If you’re feeling glum this will surely put a smile on your face. It’s an easy treat to make and is great to pull out of the cupboard on days where it feels like cabin fever is setting in. See how to make one here.
- Have a “baby, it’s cold outside” winter theme party – Need an excuse to have friends (or family) around for a fun night? Have a winter themed party with ugly jumpers (sweaters), make paper snowflakes and borrow ideas from all the Frozen theme parties on Pinterest. If winter isn’t a good enough reason for a party, I don’t know what is!
- Start a tradition – If you’ve got the funds to get away on a trip at this time of year, you can start a tradition that could last for many years to come. Whether it be to the snow fields or escaping to somewhere warm or even a trip to your local museums, creating a tradition can help get you out of your winter funk.
- Join a fitness class – Rather than focusing on a potential future “beach body”, going to a fitness class in winter helps you to a) get out of the house, b) get your blood pumping (which makes you feel less sluggish) and c) gives you a chance to make new friends or catch up with the ones you convinced to come with you.
- Have a movie night – Order in dinner, select some movies on Netflix or from your DVD collection, make the popcorn, pop on fresh PJs and settle in for some easy fun.
- Start a crafty project – Winter is the perfect time for doing crafty projects. There’s no sunshine calling you to be outside and if you pick something like a quilt or knitting or crocheting a blanket, your project will eventually keep you warm too!
- Read a book series or start a book club – Reading a (good) book series will keep you distracted from the miserable weather until spring is here again, which is great when you need the distraction. Alternatively, starting an in person book club is great for catching up with people as well as getting a new book to read each month.
- Have a winter cook up for the freezer – This serves two purposes: 1) that you get the activity of cooking up soups and other winter dishes that are great for freezing in portions, and 2) means that when you don’t feel like cooking you can defrost something and simply heat it for dinner.
- Start your spring cleaning early – this might not sound that fun, but spring weather is for enjoying, and if you can make your home feel tidy and organised when you have to be inside it will feel better to be inside with it all. Here’s a great way to get started.
These are just 10 ideas to help you feel less like the winter blues have overtaken your home. When the blues overtake us it can be tricky to think logically about how to shake them off and make things feel better. Hopefully this list sparks some ideas that you can use to feel more lighthearted and less miserable during this less than fun weather.
What’s your #1 way to shake the winter blues?
Note: The Embracing Imperfection series is a fortnightly blog post series, every second Thursday, where I talk about creating a great, happy home for you and for me. One where we not only talk about embracing imperfection, but where we make steps to do it. Read more about it here.
P.S. A Happier Home E-Course is opening for registration for round 2 on July 19! If you’re looking for some help to make your happy home a priority in 2015, come join us: Find out more and sign up here. Starts August 3, 2015.