Keeping the Winter Blues Away with Self Care

by Megan

Wow. What a year it’s been, huh? I hope all of you were able to celebrate the holiday season while staying safe and healthy. These next few months are typically a little challenging for my spirits because it gets to be cold and gray and we can’t do any warm weather traveling right now with COVID so I’m trying to come up with ideas to keep my mood and energy levels up. Here are some ways I'm working to take care of myself this winter.

Exercise (especially when I don't feel like it)

I rarely “feel” like exercising but when I do, I feel better. So I’m trying to stop thinking and just do it. Put on my exercise clothes and shoes and move. Luckily, there are so many free exercise videos online. I did Tae Bo, which I used to do in high school, and it was just a breath of fresh air. The outfits were ridiculous but I exercised and felt better. I also picked up a jump rope and have been trying to do that outside in the garage for a few minutes at a time.

Cut Caffeine in Half

I don’t want to give up coffee or caffeine completely, but I found myself consuming too much throughout the day and wasn’t sleeping as well. I’m using the time to cut my caffeine intake in half just to allow my body to reset a little. It hasn’t been awful and I’m drinking a lot more water and herbal tea. Again, I love coffee and don’t want to give it up, I’m just reducing my intake for the time being so I don’t rely on it so much.

Write and Send Thank You Cards

Not only do I need to do this anyways, I’m trying to enjoy the process of practicing gratitude, work on my penmanship (which has gotten horrible) and personalize each card. Just doing one card each night makes it feel less like an obligation and allows me to focus on each recipient.

Find some ways to take care of yourself this January and if you enjoy snow and cold- get outside and have fun! If you don’t enjoy winter weather, remember that spring is on its way.


 

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