Tips to Help You Cope with Winter

Summary

Tips to Help You Cope with Winter
Don't let the weather reflect your mood

Plenty of people count winter among their favorite seasons. You can almost see them now, swooshing down a ski run, smiles of exhilaration on their faces, ears a happy, rosy red from the snow and cold.

Such winterphiles, however, are a marked minority, as winter for many people means frigid temperatures under glowering skies punctuated by bouts of sleet, snow and the occasional blizzard. Fortunately, there are steps such people can take to lose their blues and help make the year’s darkest season a bit brighter.

Set the Mood: If your goal is to lean into winter rather than wishing it away, you can start by setting the scene. Now is the time to bust out your thickest socks and favorite sweaters, and to savor steaming cups of tea by the fire. If you lack a hearth, consider employing an array of scented candles.

Up to Speed on Slow Hobbies: Given that the weather outside is frequently frightful, it’s time to cultivate “slow hobbies” you can do indoors, such as baking, knitting or painting. It’s a great season, too, to get caught up on your reading. Top it all off by cueing up a relaxing winter music playlist online.

Out In the Cold: Just because it’s chilly doesn’t mean you must forgo all your favorite warm-weather experiences. For instance, if biking, hiking or walking on the beach is your thing, bundle up and give it a winter try. You might need to buy additional equipment to deal with the cold – perhaps crampons to reduce the risk of a slip and fall – but the results can be just as gratifying.

Happy to Steer Clear of SAD: Seasonal Affective Disorder haunts many people like the plague, the gray skies, below-zero temperatures and short days feeding into a sense of despair. While there’s little you can do about those conditions short of moving to Miami, you can take steps to keep SAD at bay. Instead of the dreariness around you, focus on fun to come by planning a spring trip, hosting cozy dinners with friends and getting to work on those Valentine’s Day cards.

What A Wonderful World: It’s no big deal reveling in the natural world amid the blooms and blossoms of spring, but bear in mind that winter has a beauty all its own. Indeed, research finds that when people actively pay attention to their natural surroundings and notice how it makes them feel, it significantly boosts their sense of well-being. Get out there and ponder the stark beauty of trees in winter and notice birds and squirrels on your way to the bus. Make a practice of celebrating nature all year round.

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At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods, and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful.