If you are like me, once the holidays are over, you are ready for spring. I got to thinking… why would we want to skip over ¼ (aka “winter”) of our lives! Of course there are those that love the cold weather and everything that goes along with it. But, being a Southern gal myself, I do not. And I always find myself a little… down… this time of year. But, I got to thinking: God made this time of year just like He made the rest of the year, and I want to find joy in this season too.

But what can we do to feel better when dealing with winter blues? Here are a few tips:

1. Plan something to look forward to. I would suggest both something in the near future and perhaps something farther away. For example, my husband and I are thinking of taking a day trip on one of his days off while also talking about plans for warmer weather. And your plans don’t have to cost a whole lot of money. Planning will keep you busy and you will have something on your calendar to look forward to.

2. Do something “spur of the moment” when you are feeling kind of “blah” just to cheer yourself up. For example, visit the library. Rent a movie. Get some cleaning around the house done. (It’s amazing how accomplishment can make you feel better!) Bundle up and go for a walk. Call a friend. Visit a family member. Read some Scripture. Pray. Journal. Volunteer. Do something that will help you feel better… and do what you can to encourage others who are struggling too. 

3. Focus on doing things you can only do in the colder weather and enjoy those moments. One idea is to build a fire and drink hot chocolate. If you don’t have a fireplace, maybe you can visit a friend who does. This time of year, I like snuggling under my heated blanket with hot tea. Or taking a long bubble bath. What about taking a nap! Depending on where you live and your resources, you can visit the slopes for skiing, sledding, or tubing. Build a snowman or a snow angel. Have a snowball fight. Lots to do in the winter when there is not so much to do. You just have to get creative… and search the internet. 😉

Friend, this day, this week, this month, this season will all too soon come to an end. Why don’t we all try and enjoy it? Enjoy God’s creation. Enjoy time with one another. I find this time of year to be much more “calm” than any other time of year. I plan to relish in it until the days get longer and the sun gets warmer… and then I will relish in those days!

 

*This article was originally written/published by the author under the title “Defeating the Winter Blues.”