How I’m Beating the Winter Blues
by Jennifer Scott
I’ve never liked winter. The negative feelings it brings on usually set in around Christmas.
At first, I feel a light melancholy over the realization of another year gone, but as time passes, I start to dread the cold, dreary days to come.
But this year, I decided to tackle my wintertime blues head-on, and I’ve learned a lot about embracing happiness when the days are cold and gray.
I work from home and don’t get to spend enough time out and about with friends or family. This year, it occurred to me how isolated that made me feel. To celebrate Christmas, a girlfriend of mine threw an “ugly sweater party,” which usually isn’t my cup of tea.
But this year I decided not only was I going to attend, I was going to make a statement. I bought a fabulous Christmas tree costume online and it was an instant hit at the party. Not only did my friend get a kick out of it, but it was also an easy icebreaker for meeting everyone else. Just getting out and being social lifted a lot of weight from my shoulders. I went home feeling happy and confident.
One thing has always made me feel better, even on my darkest days: doing good deeds. Working from home gives me schedule flexibility, so this winter I decided to take advantage and start devoting a couple afternoons a week to a good cause.
I started volunteering at my local Boys & Girls Club and was immediately rewarded with smiling faces and eager hands pulling me in every direction.
The pure joy the kids derived from something as seemingly small as a pickup game of basketball — not to mention the looks on their faces when they realized their girl Jen could actually shoot — was contagious, and I’ve left every visit feeling lighter than air and very much looking forward to the next one.
Taking time for myself isn’t something I do often, but in an effort to rejuvenate after all of the recent holiday chaos I booked myself an hour-long massage followed by a pedicure. It was certainly a splurge, but worth it!
During the massage, I cleared my mind completely and focused only on the tension leaving my body. By the end, I felt totally refreshed. And instead of giving myself knots over the expense of the pedicure, I reminded myself it was a modest and rare indulgence that would make me smile every time I saw my, now-twinkling, toes.
It felt good to do something solely because it made me happy.
My final “Aha!” moment came unexpectedly when a friend recently asked me for a favor. She was making an unscheduled trip out of town for work and needed someone to watch her rescue pup, Clyde.
I’m a born animal-lover, so I happily agreed to take him in for the week. He cut down on my feelings of loneliness, and it was comforting to have a companion while I worked.
My favorite part of Clyde’s stay, though, were our evenings together. Cuddling up on the couch with him instantly made me relax, even after the longest of days.
His wagging tail and loving nature constantly put me at ease, and I admit it was really hard to say goodbye when the time came!
Wintertime may not be your favorite time of year, and, indeed, it may leave you feeling downright terrible, but I’ve learned there are ways to brighten this dreary season.
It would have been easier to skip the holiday parties I was invited to and not tie up my free evenings and weekends volunteering, but I’m happy I broke out of my routine and comfort zone because I gained new friends from both experiences and got a lift of the spirits that I truly needed.
I’ll do my best to carry this boosted mood through to the lighter, brighter days of spring.
Jennifer Scott has been challenged with anxiety and depression for many years. She created her website, SpiritFinder.org, as a platform for advocacy on opening up about mental health. Through the site, she hopes to share the types of steps and success stories that can help others realize their own power. When she isn’t working on her website, she enjoys traveling, working with animals, and seeking out new friendships and adventures.
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