How do they do it? I cannot imagine living in an area that has snow more than a few weeks out of the year. I really do despise cold weather even with its moments of beauty. From the moment my alarm goes off the thought of cold creeps into my world. I must jump up and turn on the heater in my bathroom because I just hate being cold while I get ready in the morning (or anytime for that matter). Then, I make my morning coffee, put on my 4 layers of clothes, and warm up my car before heading off to the office. I feel chilled off and on throughout my day and I dread going anywhere other than straight to work and back home. With snow and ice on the ground it just basically sucks to do anything, even walk! If I go grocery shopping, pushing the cart to my car is like embarking on an off-roading adventure. Life just takes more effort, I don’t want to go to the gym or go lay in the tanning bed. Doing any of that means going out in the cold, and getting naked to lay in a tanning bed is absolute torture! I am one of those people who gets cold and no matter what I do, I cannot get warm until the end of the day when I sit in a hot bath or take a hot shower to finally thaw out.
I suffer from what I call the winter blues. I take vitamin D, I try to exercise and sit near a window to be near natural sunlight, I go to the tanning salon, I do my best to drink plenty of water, meditate, and I have houseplants and flowers in my home & office. All of this effort still leaves me wishing the cold and snow would just hurry up and go away. I find myself looking through Hulu and Netflix for a movie or reading a book and I just can’t get interested. I go to sleep early and wake up early like my grandparents used to do. All of these efforts definitely help me to some degree and I recommend trying them if you haven’t. However, in the end, the best thing you can do is face it and get out in it. Don’t hide out!
Push yourself to live your life and don’t allow yourself to get sucked into the winter blues. Get yourself together and go do what you would be doing if it wasn’t freezing outside. I get tired of hiding out and trying to wait it out, I just bundle up and get my ass to the gym anyway. I always feel better once I do. I find the more active I try to be in the winter the better I feel. Allowing yourself to go into hibernation mode is a very bad idea. In order to keep your immune system strong and avoid getting hit by the cold and flu season during the winter months, it is best to stay active, drink plenty of water, and get out in the fresh air when possible.
Embrace the easy, one pot recipes when winter arrives! There are so many yummy soups, stews, and chilis and that you can put in the slow cooker and have ready when you get home from a long cold day. I also love different herbal teas at night, before bed and wonderful essential oil blends to put in a warm bath. Embrace the cute and fashionable winter weather clothes, it makes the morning a lot easier to face if you have a coat, hat, gloves and a scarf that you really love. We don’t open windows in our home, office or car when it is freezing outside, so it can get stuffy; I try to keep candles at my home & office, or tropical scented air fresheners in my car, so when the heat is blowing full blast I can enjoy the smell of the beach! A cool mist humidifier is also wonderful, air can get dry in your home and adding a few drops of essential oils to the humidifier can add moisture and a wonderful, healthy scent to the atmosphere. Dry skin happens too, make sure you slather your body with a good moisturizer after your shower or bath to avoid dry, itchy skin (and don’t forget chapstick or lip balm!). Eating fruits and vegetables that have lots of vitamin C and vitamin D is important to help keep the immune system strong and your mood improved as well!
Winter weather health is different than the other seasons and for me, it is a bit more of a struggle. I have to push myself harder to motivate each day, those really cold days, when the ground is covered with snow, I just want to crawl back into my warm bed. I must admit, once Spring comes it definitely brings a stronger appreciate for the other seasons! Truthfully, I love all the seasons and I am thankful that in Missouri I get to see them all to the full extent each year. I just prefer to watch winter through my living room window and not have to venture out in it. However, this year I have practiced embracing it by finding things to enjoy and even though it is still my least favorite season I am pushing through like a champ!
With love, happiness, health and motivation (and dreams of Summer),
Stacy
Life Unlimited 