Winter blues: how to feel a little better

[DISCLAIMER: This post has been written WITHOUT the assistance of chatGPT, for better or for worse].

What makes you feel better and gives you energy these days? What helps you get up in the morning and get through the day?

Whether or not we appear to be fine, each of us is fighting our own battle. Some are overworked, others are under-employed; some are parented-out while others wish they had kids around; some long for a connection, others – for privacy; some are hungry, while others consume more than they mean to...

Feeling better is not always about dramatic changes; we can talk about feeling a little happier, a bit more sane, and somewhat more at peace. Here are some ideas to experiment with, when it feels possible:

1. Basic self-care. (Do what you can, don’t despair if it does not all happen each day, and try again the following day.)

-Prioritize sleep (both quantity and quality) over everything else whenever possible.

- Have at least one meal per day that is healthy for you, if you can.

- Go outside during daylight to see the sun, even if just for a few minutes.

- Do some physical activity: put on a timer to do a plank for 30 seconds, do a wall sit or a stretch, have a 5-minute dance party, see how many pushups you can do.

- Get dressed, and go for a short walk outside, if possible.

2. Talk to yourself kindly. Please, don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to someone you deeply care about. Catch yourself when you can, and switch to kinder words.

3. Reach out to offer something.?While it may be difficult to ask for help, it may be easier to offer help, and it will make you feel better. Send a “thinking of you” card, share a good story or a movie recommendation, offer to listen, to compile a playlist, to run an errand – whatever works for you.

4. Add variety into your daily life for all of your senses.

- Add more spices and colors to your food

- Put on different types of music (music will take you through different moods; it is like a workout for the soul)

- Put up pictures of people and places that make you smile

- Change the set-up of your home office, kitchen, or bedroom to reduce an autopilot

5. Think what makes you interesting to yourself.

- Would you feel interesting to yourself if you start writing?

- What about learning a language? (Software is often available for free in local libraries.)

- Listen to podcasts on new topics that interest you (this is great for when you get stuck with monotonous jobs around the house)

- Try 5-minute meditation just to see what all the hype is about

6. Bring yourself to a park, to a lake, a river, a forest, mountains… Just get there, and lend yourself to nature; nature will know what to do with you.

7. Start a running list of your wins and successes. Some days, brushing your teeth may feel like a win. Other days, you may save someone’s life, or finish a project important to you.

These ideas may sound like they are addressing 'first world problems'. However, regardless of one’s situation, experiences of sadness, disconnection, being both overwhelmed and under-stimulated, feel real. So, let’s check up on each other once in a while, ok?

Please, tell me what is keeping you sane this winter so far, and we can keep a running list in the comments. Hang in there. ?

#energy #winterblues #happiness #sadness #stress #anxiety #uncertainty