Tonight marks the longest night of the year—and also the beginning of the road back into the light. Pretend you’re Persephone, and start your ascent into spring!
Here’s my top five ways to get through the midwinter fuzz:
5. Get Organised
I’ve discovered over the years that a big chunk of my gray sky blues comes from general untidiness: in my house, and in my brain. Now is the perfect time to start making lists and checking things twice. Set yourself some achievable goals, and celebrate when you reach them. I’m totally not a schedules person, but I find that at this time of year, planning out my day in minute detail really helps drag me through everything, which is an excellent thing when I’m so lacking in motivation. Repeat: structure is your friend.
4. Start Something New
I recommend something physical, but anything that gets you out of the house and the office, and meeting some new people, will do a-okay. This year I’m thinking of taking up bellydancing.
3. Sing! Sing! Sing!
Load up your mp3 player or car CD holder with the happiest music you can think of. The Monkees, or something equally 60s, does the job for me. But don’t just listen to it: SING! If you don’t know the words, yodel. If you’re feeling brave, spread the cheer and hum all day long; if anyone complains, remind them that you’re only thinking of their melatonin levels.
2. Pop A Pill
Okay, so this one sounds slightly on the dodgy side, but I’m talking about vitamins here. Multivitamins, in fact. A month ago I had trouble waking up at 8am; now I’m out of bed by 6.40, and loving it. Women’s multivitamins for the win! Look for something with vitamin D to make up for all the sunlight you’re missing.
1. ‘Tis The Season To Be Jolly
This is the big one: stop fighting winter! Embrace the season. Make a list of all the things you like best about the cold weather (log fires, bushwalks in the icy air, coming home to a slowcooked meal, hot chestnuts, big family dinners) and then do them. That’s the important thing: you have to actually do this stuff instead of deciding it’s all too much bother, and you’d rather just slump in front of the telly watching Home and Away anyway. My melatonin levels are going down just after writing that sentence! Beating winter blues doesn’t just happen by itself. With a bit of effort and a thorough knowledge of seasonal cliches, you can start thinking of winter as something to look forward to and enjoy, rather than as that blurry patch in the middle of the year when nothing ever gets done and you end up feeling awful 98.3% of the time.
What are some of your tips for getting through the winter?
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