Longing for summer: How to survive the last of the winter blues

Spring is upon us, and while we’ve survived the brunt of the shorter and darker days, the weather isn’t exactly giving us sunshine and roses all the time either.

Temperatures are still chilly, and the sky is often grey and rainy. Plus, didn’t it snow just the other week?!

Waking up early and heading out late from school or work means we’re also playing hide-and-seek with the sun, which can make people feel sad, drained, and lonely.

While we can’t skip straight to the summer season, we can find many ways to overcome the remaining winter blues like it’s another Monday. 

Exercise

By exercise, I mean do anything other than sit on the couch. Your sofa or bed can be cozy and comfortable, but the annoying truth is that moving your body is a positive distraction and allows you to feel active.

Every day, a 15-minute workout, a short stretching session, dancing around your house, or even a few jumping jacks while you wait for your food to cook is really helpful.

Some days you will feel motivated to get moving and some days you won’t, which is completely normal. The goal isn’t to be perfect. It’s just to be able to keep yourself positive.

Dress up

This might sound funny but dress up for no reason. It’s therapeutic in many ways and can help you brainstorm potential outfits for different outings.

If you are into makeup or hairstyles, try out different kinds of looks. Put on a fashion show for yourself from the clothes you never pick out or the pieces you feel like you have nowhere to wear them to.

Dressing up for no reason can have positive effects on your mood and self-esteem, nourishing your confidence and helping you feel more capable and ready to take on the day.

Overall, putting on a nice outfit is a great mood-booster to combat the winter blues!

#MeTime

How do you get creative with a closed mind? During the winter, we all want to lie down and scroll endlessly on our phones.

But instead, you should make your brain work. Create small moments for yourself, such as making a cup of tea or hot chocolate and watching your favourite show or movie — warm socks on, scented candles by your side, and all.

Try to start something that you have been meaning to get to for a while, like reading a specific book or cooking a new recipe. You can stream a standup comedy routine for a laugh or even take a long shower.

Simply put, pamper yourself in a way where you won’t feel guilty about it later. Happiness doesn’t usually come in big bursts. It also comes in small and warm everyday moments.

Keep busy

Everyone is already busy in their own lives. Some folks study, some work, and some do both. Keeping busy on daily tasks is great for focus and productivity.

If at any point during the day things start to feel monotonous, I suggest going for a cup of coffee, sitting outside for 10 minutes, and running some errands just to move your body. What you shouldn’t do is stay in the same place and do the same chore the whole day.

To keep your energy up, try doing multiple different things in a day. You can start by cleaning your room — or even just a drawer or two — replying to your emails, or trying something you’ve never done before like rapping or filming a dance tutorial.

Take it easy

Some days just aren’t meant to fight the winter blues. We are constantly advised to push through, stay positive, and do something about being down in the dumps, but these tips don’t always help if you’re not in the mood. Sometimes, it’s better to rest mentally, physically, and emotionally to recharge our body and mind.

We should not be hard on ourselves. Go easy once a while — it’s OK to put your life on pause for a day by lying down and binge-watching TV shows in your pajamas. You can then bounce back like nothing happened when you’re ready.

In a nutshell, winter doesn’t last forever and the sun will come back with longer and brighter days for our summer plans. But while we’re at the tail end of winter, let’s find moments of joy to hold onto until then.