There are plenty of reasons winter in New England sucks: the roads are terrible, it's wicked cold, and everybody's in a bad mood. But when you experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (like I do), it can be especially challenging to keep your spirits up and to see all the reasons to love winter once the days get shorter.
This year, I wanted to be proactive going into winter. In the fall, I started making a mental list of all the things that make me feel happy and engaged -- and all the reasons I love winter, because really, I do -- so that I could return to it once the blues hit and rely on these tasks and ideas to keep the blues at bay. And the list is working!
But once I started having trouble remembering exactly what was on my mental list, I decided to make a real one. A pretty one. Do you want to fill one out too? Find the list in color here, and black-and-white here.
I organized the list into four different sections.
I love having things to look forward to...especially during the winter when the days and nights start to drag and I start to have fantasies about murdering a certain groundhog. I wanted to limit the items I put in this category to things I could look forward to this winter. You could always put "summer" in this category, but it works better for me to have big, tangible things here that are happening soon. Kristie and I will be driving up to Montreal for Valentine's Day weekend (a trip I can't wait for); my friend Jess is expecting a baby girl this month; and my sister's birthday is coming up in February. All big things, all happening in the next two months, all things I can thank winter for.
Planning is also an important part of this section. For a lot of people, planning can provide a serotonin boost, and can make you even happier than going on vacation. Lately, I've been heading to Pinterest to plan redecorating projects and to Airbnb to bookmark all kinds of vacation properties I'd love to rent someday. Even if some of these projects never come to fruition, my brain still gets the benefit of looking to the future.
You know the things you should be prioritizing; the tasks that make your life easier, happier...that make you feel good. The things that, once you do them, you say to yourself, "I should really do that more often." For me, it's running (ideally four times per week), getting plenty of vitamin D from the sun, keeping the house neat, learning, exercising the dog, and spending more time baking and cooking.
Not on the list (because I ran out of lines): Being more strict about gluten, and going to therapy every week. Since I work at a school, I get to eat lunch for free in the dining hall every day. There are all kinds of options, but sometimes the GF pickings are a little slim, and I tell myself I'll be all right with a small bowl of soup that I know has flour in it -- and I'm not. Ever. Eating like that makes me feel crappy and it's time to knock it off. As for the other item, I've been seeing a therapist since, well, the beginning of winter to help with anxiety and Seasonal Affective Disorder, and even when it's freezing and I don't want to get in my car and drive across town, it's worth going to see her every single time.
I decided to separate this category from the one above because while prioritizing the things that make you feel good is itself a form of self-care, there are lots of things that make my heart sing that I wouldn't necessarily call priorities.
For example, Kristie works late every Thursday. So when I get off work, I stop at our local co-op on the way home and get a fresh juice and a gluten-free cookie, and watch whatever I want on Netflix when I get home while knitting or cuddling with Samson, just soaking up some good quiet time. I also love to put in the time to paint my nails, take hot baths with epsom salt and a few drops of lavender essential oil, and read -- preferably all in the same evening for maximum self-care!
Hot chocolate with marshmallows and/or whipped cream. Being cozy under a pile of blankets. Having the time to knit and binge-watch "Scandal" on Netflix. Getting snowed in. Cable-knit socks. Hot meals from the slow cooker. Snowshoeing (or hiking, cross-country skiing, and sledding). Big, comfy sweaters.
Winter has its up's for sure; we just have to make sure we don't forget about them.
