This Winter has been particularly tiring on every level. Normally, I don't mind the Winter so very much. I usually enjoy the opportunity to bundle up, drink hot toddies, and tuck into the Season with a good book; but not this Winter. This winter has me yearning for a tropical vacation on a warm, sandy beach, drinking Pina Coladas and feeling the warmth of sunshine on my face. I am tired of the cold. But, mostly, I am feeling the frustration of exhaustion in sharp contrast to the HUGE list of Goals and Projects and Dreams I designated for 2013. Winter - you're really a downer.
This Winter Lethargy will not get the best of me, however. Perhaps there's a hidden gift amidst the gloomy skies. What if we flipped this feeling into something beneficial - ?
Here are the tactics I've been using to overcome these Winter Blues:
Bears hibernate, perhaps we should too.
Perhaps there really is a natural cycle that even we humans are a part and participant. Creating, visualizing, manifesting, goal getting - these things take energy. Energy is pretty hard to come by when feeling the winter blues, feeling physically exhausted, and altogether slothlike. Instead of fighting the desire for more sleep and railing against the injustice that the energetic Muses aren't visiting, perhaps we should heed our bodies and rest up for the cycles to come. Go to bed earlier. Take naps. Spend less time on big agendas and work in more concentrated increments.
Instead of fighting the need for rest, reflection, repose, go with it. Fighting the feeling takes even more energy. The Spring will come and so will the Summer. These cloudy skies will vanish. The temperatures will warm. For now, use this time as Nature's permission slip to take it easy and restore yourself to balance.
Read, Watch, Listen to, DO Happy Things
It sounds cliche and absurdly simple, but it's a formula that works. Gone are the days when I would match my mood to my music - what a terrible idea that was - here are the days I seek to uplift my mood with things that make me Happy.
I've created playlists on iTunes for days when my mood needs boosting - upbeat songs which take my mind away from freezing temperatures and transport me to happy memories and dreams of sunny locales.
I also take the time to read, watch, and do things which make me laugh, create insight, clear away the rubble of recrimination for the large amounts of sugar I consumed over the past two months, and boost my overall outlook.
Radical Self Care.
After the constant deluge of sugar over the holidays, it's no wonder that I have managed to catch the flu, which at 8 months pregnant is really truly unpleasant. Neuroscientists state that sugar not only contributes to depressed immune systems but to emotional depression, which after all of the magic cookie bars, hot chocolates, and fudge I consumed this Winter makes a lot of sense to me. I'm not just tired - I'm sick, tired and depressed. That craving for the sunshine is the body's natural "happiness therapy" - Vitamin D, anyone?
Apart from taking the initiative to restock our sleep banks, it's time to heal our bodies from the sugar overload of the season. Last year, I picked up Kris Carr's Crazy, Sexy Diet and felt my body and spirits snap back within 10 days of committing to the books diet and lifestyle fixes. I was not only feeling better than I had in years but looking amazing as well. No small surprise that after a few months on the Crazy, Sexy bandwagon, after unsuccessfully trying for seven months to become pregnant, we found ourselves with very happy news of this little bean.
Drink tons of water - winter dehydrates as you know. Do a cleanse. Commit to a sugar-free/gluten-free diet for the rest of Winter. Start taking your vitamins again. Eat fresh veggies. That torpor will fade. Trust me, I am looking forward to getting my body back into balance after the stress, poor diet, and diminished health habits of the past several months.
Get Moving
Who wants to venture into freezing cold temperatures to exercise, right? Yet, a body in motion is a body that is creating happy hormones called endorphins. Daily exercise has proven health benefits - more energy, more mental clarity, boosted immune systems, and, above all - a feeling of vigor and optimism.
I plan on using the rollerblades I bought last year. I never rollerbladed once. Sounds a lot like those people who buy a gym membership and then never use it, right? I'm guilty of that too.
The key to exercising is to find something that you personally love. I'm not a gym kind of person. I am a yoga, outdoors, swimming, riding a bike, or hiking kind of person. So, exercise, if it's something I am going to commit to over a lifetime, needs to be something I enjoy. Find something you enjoy - and do that.
Start a Meditation Practice
I'm of the "busy mind" category with a constant flurry of mental activity as my normal state, so, when I began meditating several years ago, I thought it was something I would need to force myself to undertake. I couldn't have been more wrong, however.
When I realized that not every meditation practice involved complete silence but rather involved focused stillness and mindfulness, meditation grew into something that I loved.
I happen to adore the Brain Sync by Kelly Howell meditations. Every evening, I listen to one of her Theta Meditations as I drift off to sleep, and though I've gotten lazy recently, I plan on recommitting myself to meditating in the mornings once more with one of Kelly's daytime meditations.
Meditation needn't be of the still kind, either. I've heard many people tout the benefits of focused though during running or yoga. The point is to do it - each and every day. To retrain our minds away from the exhaustive and often negative thinking, and towards a calmer, centered, positive outlook.
Connect
It's a very odd occurence that when we're feeling down, we want to sequester ourselves away. But, studies show that pulling away from others might actually contribute to increased lethargy and unhappiness.
Make time during the next several weeks to connect with loved ones. Squeeze the dog. Hold your honey's hand. Give and receive hugs. Make time to share meals, watch football, play board games together. I know that it's far too easy to feel too tired to connect, but sharing laughter and touch with others will actually add to your energy bank. I didn't think that could possibly be true until I tried this method last year, and you know, it worked.
And when all else fails ... infuse your day with color - fresh flowers, a bright item of clothing. It's hard to feel blue when reminding ourselves of the color to come in the Spring, yes?
Do you have any tips on overcoming the winter blues? I'd love to hear what works for you! XO, Tiffany
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