It’s 5:15pm and the sun has set. Darkness has encroached my apartment and the terrible doom I feel in my heart is looming about. The colder months are challenging for all of us in New England, but there are a few things we can do to try and make the most of the wintertime.
Embrace the outdoors!
It can feel impossible to leave your house when it’s cold and dark, but I cannot believe what a difference stepping outdoors for 5 mins a day makes. Seasonal Affective Disorder is believed to be caused by lack of sunlight. The lack of vitamin D messes with your circadian rhythm and affects the production of neurotransmitters in the brain, such as serotonin and melatonin. It may take some courage to brave the outdoors, but you can start small. Step outside during your lunch break at work. If you’re into snow sports, give that a try!
Make inside a place you want to be.
Indoors can feel like a prison when it’s cold outside. The freezing weather keeps you from having fun, being productive, or happy in general. Most people will tell you to buy supplements, red-light masks, and an indoor sauna. Those things are great, but you don’t have to spend money on gadgets and expensive self-care items to get through the winter. Start small by organizing your current space — decluttering and donating items that are taking up physical and mental space. It might make you feel more relieved than you realize.
Find a friend you can run errands with.
This has been my biggest game changer for the wintertime. As someone whose mental well-being is very much connected to feeling the sun, it’s very hard to convince myself to leave the house for things that don’t feel fun, cozy, or exciting. Tasks like going to the grocery store, doing laundry (I’m not lucky enough to have in-unit laundry), or exercising are very difficult. However, when I started doing those tasks with my friends it felt a lot easier. I’d pick a friend to go to the grocery store with — and it would feel pretty fantastic to help them get that errand done along with me. Seasonal depression getting you down and making it impossible to do your laundry? BOOM laundry party. Find a friend or family member that has a washing machine, bring your laundry over on a day you both have free, and get it done while you socialize or watch a movie.
Do one thing at a time.
We spend so much time multitasking- even if we don’t realize it. Overwhelming our nervous systems with constant dopamine and distractions. Oftentimes we don’t even go to the bathroom without scrolling social media on our phones or playing a game. Doomscrolling really is the enemy- especially if you’re doing it alongside another activity. If you’re watching tv- WATCH tv. Put your phone down and pay attention to what’s happening.
Winter is hard to get through, but not impossible. Little changes can make a big difference in the way you feel on a day-to-day basis. Find the things you enjoy and lean into them. Spend time with your friends, family, and do things by yourself!
