Beat the Winter Blues

We’re deep into winter and if you’re like us, you may be feeling an overwhelming urge to hibernate until further notice. We get it. The combination of short days, long nights, and a world that sometimes feels like it’s running on empty can make even the best of us feel a little sluggish. It can be easy to give in to the lethargy but we refuse to let winter turn us into sad little couch potatoes (as tempting as that might sound).  Instead, let’s fight back with a few tried-and-true strategies:

Expose yourself to sunshine:  Find some time to get out for a walk in the daylight, open your curtains wide or even consider a sun lamp to lighten your mood. Sunlight triggers the release of serotonin which increases the feeling of happiness and well being.

Move, even when you don’t want to – We’re not saying you need to run a marathon in a blizzard, but elevating your activity levels to release endorphins can help reduce stress and anxiety and significantly elevate your mood.

Laugh (even if it’s at yourself) – Find the humor in the little things. Watch a show or attend a play that cracks you up (we recommend Oh, Mary!), call your funniest friend, or come in for a physical therapy session  – we always know how to lighten a mood!

Take a break from the doom scroll – The world is heavy enough without a steady diet of bad news. Set some limits.  Take a break from the news a couple of hours before bed to ensure a good night’s rest.

Connect – Call a friend you haven’t spoken to recently, rekindle an old friendship, check in on your family and loved ones a little more frequently. We need each other more than we think.

With these strategies the winter blahs don’t stand a chance against us.

Stay cozy, stay hopeful, and as always, we’re here for you.

With warmth (literal and figurative),

Deanie & Marcus