Dealing with the winter blues is never pleasant for the majority of people who have it. Besides feeling stuck in with limited options on where to go or what to do, this is exacerbated by the Covid pandemic. Even in states that are not shut down, businesses are choosing to limit hours, availability, or what people can and cannot do. This is in order to promote social distancing, or even to abide by city guidelines, but it can still be difficult to come to terms with. Although dealing with the winter blues might be extra challenging this year, you can take off your mental health in spite of it. Learn more and try out some of these techniques.
Keep a Gratitude Journal
You already know what a regular journal involves, but have you considered keeping one where you count your blessings, even on the days that are really difficult? A gratitude journal can help you see the positive, even when things seem bleak. It can help you remember the good in life, focus on the positive, and even find ways to be resourceful. It can also be an expression of your personality. Your journal can be just a simple notebook or it can be more sophisticated, complete with color, stickers, and even wasabi tape.
Make Time to Work Out
During the pandemic, it can be easy to slip into the mindset that there’s no need to work out or take care of yourself. Your social activities might already be limited, or perhaps you’re starting to feel depressed and simply don’t care about how you look right now. Working out can give you a chance to burn calories, boost your endorphins, and prevent yourself from gaining too much weight, which may contribute to depression.
There are many different workouts online, from walking workouts of various levels to more advanced ones that require lifting weights. Use this time to focus on eating healthier food, so you don’t get sucked in to relying on takeout, and make a point to use multi vitamins to improve your health. Start out slow and work your way up, as you change up your activities from time to time so you don’t get bored.
Take Up a New Hobby
There’s no better time than the winter to take up a new hobby or try out something you’ve been meaning to do. Perhaps you’d like to see how well you can practice calligraphy, or maybe you’d like to take photos that are the envy of all your friends. Whatever you’ve always thought about doing, take the time, and try it out now. You can always give it up if you discover it’s not for you. Write down a list of potential hobbies and see which ones you find most interesting, and give yourself a few weeks to pursue them. Nowadays you can get help and lessons from professionals online, thanks to Zoom.
The Overall Point
Even with a pandemic raging on, it’s important not to let the winter blues get the best of you. You can combat them by thinking of things in life you are grateful for and what you appreciate. This helps you to remember how fortunate you are, no matter what your situation. Taking time to work out daily and improving both how you look and feel can help your self-esteem while keeping you healthy. Working out is a useful way to boost endorphins, and you can do so safely from home, even if your gym is closed. Perhaps this is the time to take on a new hobby and try something you’ve always meant to do. Make a list of hobbies and give yourself permission to stop if they don’t bring you joy or you discover you want to try something else. Keeping the winter blues away this year might present more of a challenge, but it can be done, giving you happiness and joy even in a difficult time.