Ah winter, I have such a love hate relationship with it. I love the winter season because of Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the family time that comes with it. I was especially excited for the holidays this year because my son is at the perfect age for us to start building traditions with him. This is SO exciting for me. When I was a child my favorite tradition was going with my parents, brother and sister to pick out our christmas tree and decorate it. This is something that we did with our mini-man this year and it was such a blast!
But while I love, love, love the holidays, I definitely don’t love the winter blues that come along with it. You know what I mean, the bitter cold days where the wind feels like it cuts right through you, the gloomy gray skies and sunsets at 4:30pm. It’s hard not to feel down on these days BUT there are things that you can do to combat those bad winter vibes.
I’ve made a list below of my favorite things to do during the winter season to bring me joy and keep seasonal depression away.
Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor. If you are feeling depressed more than just seasonal depression, it’s OKAY to see a professional and ask for help. I cannot stress how important mental health care is. So please, try my tips below but we want to make sure that our dear readers are safe, healthy and happy and if that means you need to see a doctor or therapist for that, that is absolutely okay and a necessary step that you need to take to get well. Every one of our readers is family here at Seven Stones and we love and respect you so please take care of yourselves!
Okay friends, let’s get to it!
8 Ways To Beat The Winter Blues
- Vitamin D: This is a big one! It’s super important to make sure you get enough vitamin D during the winter. Vitamin D isn’t just for your bone health; it helps make you happy too. I believe that a lack of this vitamin is what gives people those moody blues in the winter. It’s too cold to go outside and the sun isn’t out most of the time so we are missing out on those lovely rays. While we do get vitamin D from our diets, we don’t get enough. During the summer, just going outside at noon for 30 minutes gives you your daily dose of vitamin D but in the winter I always take a supplement. Adults need a daily dose of 400 – 600 IU of vitamin D a day. If you take a multivitamin, check to see if it has that much in it. You can also get a vitamin D supplement. I would recommend trying the supplement in pill form though. Alexis has used the drops before and they have a weird texture/flavor to them.
- Grounding Crystals: It’s hard to get grounding from nature in the winter. I mean of course you can still go outside and enjoy the beauty of nature (especially right after it snows!) but I personally get the most grounding when I can stick my toes in the grass. So another way to get grounding and help you feel happier is by using crystals! My favorites are black tourmaline, onyx, hematite and bloodstone but you could also try crystals that are particular to the heart chakra as well. These include rose quartz, jade, green aventurine and green calcite.
- Get Some Exercise: This tip seems like a no-brainer but I thought it was definitely worth including. Go for a run, do some yoga or take a kickboxing class. Anything that gets your blood pumping and endorphins up. This will instantly make you happier. Even if you don’t have time to go to the gym or don’t have a gym membership, doing simple stretches, heck even jumping jacks, will help!
- Practice Gratitude: I almost didn’t put this on the list because it’s a little out of the box but gratitude is something I make a point to practice daily, as much as possible. Stopping to smell the roses and really take a moment to appreciate how blessed you are can truly make a difference in your outlook on life. Whenever I am getting stressed at work or feeling myself get negative I stop and take a few deep breaths while I think of all the things I have to be grateful for and how blessed I am to even FEEL stressed out. Some of the things I am grateful for are (of course!) my amazing husband and son, having a roof over my head, this blog and all our beautiful readers and the ability to help so many people just from writing words on a computer. I actually have a journal that I carry around in my backpack where I write everything down, including a gratitude journal. This has helped me so much with manifesting but I also feel like it has made me more grounded and secure. One of the things I was grateful for today was donuts!
- Incorporate Things You Love Into Your Daily Routine: Make sure you are adding at least one thing you enjoy into your routine every day. This can be something as simple as lighting a candle, cuddling under a cozy blanket, talking to your mom or hugging your child/partner/dog. You could do something more complex like making a home cooked meal or reserving one day or night a week that is completely yours to unplug. Our favorite of these is talking to our moms. We both usually call her on our drive home from work. Even if we have nothing to talk about we find comfort hearing her voice.
- Essential Oils: Try diffusing an uplifting scent like lemon, orange, ylang ylang, joy or bergamot. Anything that puts a pep in your step and energizes you. Many citrus oils have been known to battle depression (again, we are not doctors, but citrus is highly recommended). Try adding some peppermint for an extra zing! You can also dilute in a carrier oil and place on your heart.
- Have An Awesome Self Care Routine: This kind of goes with #5. Having a strict self care routine that you practice daily in the morning or at night (or both) will help so much! By having a self care routine you are making sure that you are taking care of YOU which is so important. This routine can be as simple or complex as you want. I prefer an in between routine before bed. I meditate for 10-15 minutes, oil pull, brush and floss my teeth, wash my face and give myself a mini foot massage. I end up going to bed later than I would prefer but after writing in the morning, working full time during the day, taking care of a toddler and then writing some more after he goes to bed, I deserve it! Having a dedicated self care routine is something that you shouldn’t compromise on. It’s your personal time to decompress and you deserve that too! You can also do a weekly or monthly self care by having your nails done or getting a massage!
- Let Your Inner Child Out: Lastly, and arguably, most importantly, let your inner child out every once in a while! Yes, you may feel silly doing it but I guarantee you will be happy when you are done. Dance in the kitchen, sing in the shower, make a snow angel, jump on the couch. The possibilities here are vast and endless. Spend some time remembering the things that make you who you are and embrace them! No one is perfect and straight laced all the time. It’s so easy to get caught up in the mundaneness of daily life; bills appointments etc so take some time to do something that makes you feel like a kid again. I know this is going to sound totally cliche but we only live once so even though you have responsibilities it’s totally okay to forget them for a few minutes and giggle like a small child.
Okay friends, this is where I sign off. Let me know in the comments which tip is your favorite or if there is something you do that I didn’t list.
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Namaste!
Michelle
