How to Beat the Winter Blues While You Stay Safe at Home
Do the cold weather and frequent gloomy days have you feeling a little down? You’re not alone! Lots of people start feeling those winter blues as the season progresses. We know the feeling of wanting to curl up under the covers and wait for spring!
Unfortunately, this year may be even more difficult for some due to the COVID-19 pandemic restricting the number of available activities and social opportunities. Have no fear, however, as we’re here to show you how to beat the winter blues while you stay safe at home!
What Are the Winter Blues?
Learning how to beat the winter blues means understanding what they are first. Essentially they’re recurrent depressive episodes that tend to occur seasonally, specifically during the winter months. They can be characterized by feelings of sadness, chronic sleepiness, decreased energy, fatigue, and other similar symptoms.
If you’re feeling the winter blues this year (or maybe every year around this time) you’re certainly not alone. Statistics show that 4 to 6 percent of adults feel the winter blues while another 10 to 20 percent experience what is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Though frequently lumped together, they are technically different.
7 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues
Now that we’ve understood what those feelings are from, let’s learn how to beat the winter blues! Some ways we suggest include:
- Creating morning and nighttime routines for yourself
- Taking breaks from work during the daytime
- Listening to upbeat music or dancing it out
- Embracing color in all its forms
- Relaxing in a zero gravity chair for physical and mental health improvement
- Getting light therapy tools to help on gloomy days
- Starting a virtual book club to engage your mind and be social
These are our suggestions on ways to beat the winter blues but if you experience deepening symptoms or need additional help please consult a healthcare professional.
Develop Morning and Night Time Routines for Self Care
When it comes down to it, we’re creatures of habit. Having routines sets our minds at ease helps prepare us for what’s ahead. While morning routines tend to get all the love (who doesn’t love that first cup of coffee?), night time routines are also super easy and important ways to help beat the winter blues!
Having a night time routine helps your mind and body unwind from the day, recharge, and prepare to take on tomorrow. Your night time routine can be anything you want! Relax with a decaf hot beverage, light a candle, take a bubble bath, or even relax in a comfortable zero gravity chair. These home self care routines can engage your senses, elevate your mood, and improve mental health.
Take Work Breaks During the Daytime
Working from home during the pandemic has changed the way we run our days. During the winter months, the limited hours of daily sunlight can be a major contributing source of those winter blues. We recommend taking time during the work day to step away from your home office setup and get a little fresh air and sunlight. It’ll do wonders for your mood and can drastically help beat the winter blues!
Play Upbeat Music to Beat the Winter Blues
Chances are you already have a favorite music app or sound machine you enjoy listening to. Did you know that music is an effective and easy way to help beat the winter blues? Listening to upbeat music can really put you in a good mood and boost your spirits!
Want to boost your energy even more? Have a blast with a solo dance party while you jam out!
Embrace Color in All Its Forms
While it might sound strange to you at first, vibrant colors can really make you feel happier. Next on our list of ways to beat the winter blues while you stay safe at home is to embrace color in all its forms.
Have you been wanting to take on a weekend project? Change up a room by painting it a vibrant color! Painting not your thing? Try wearing some brighter colors, even at home, and have your outfit bring a little brightness to your day.
Another easy way to add color to your home without the commitment of full interior design makeovers is with flowers. Each week grab a vibrant bouquet from the store or your favorite florist to liven up your home and help you beat the winter blues. The little things can go a long way!
Beat the Winter Blue While Relaxing in a Zero Gravity Chair
While a lot of items on our list include self care activities at home during the pandemic, sometimes it’s helpful to simply sit back and relax. Learning ways to de-stress and recharge is essential to improving your mental health and learning to beat the winter blues.
If you have a zero gravity chair at home, it’s the perfect multifunctional furniture piece to help improve your overall health naturally. Some of the ways for how a zero gravity chair benefits your body while staying home include: spinal decompression, alleviating lower back pain, fighting inflammation, increasing blood circulation, and improving sleep quality!
Furthermore, some of the best zero gravity chairs on the market include luxury features like heat therapy and massage functions. These are both great options to help beat the winter blues because they keep your body loose, deepen relaxation, and help your body release endorphins that naturally improve your mood and mental health!
Using a Light Therapy Box for Seasonal Affective Disorder Symptoms
Jumping into the next method for how to beat the winter blues while you stay safe at home during the pandemic is using a light therapy box to help treat symptoms of the winter blues and SAD. Light boxes mimic natural sunlight and are believed by some professionals to cause a chemical change in your brain that elevates your mood and combats seasonal depression symptoms.
The light box should provide at least 10,000 lux of light exposure while emitting little-to-no UV light. Professionals recommend using the light box when you wake up each morning for 20 to 30 minutes for best results.
Start a Virtual Book Club to Be Social Safely
Last, but certainly not least, in our guide on how to beat the winter blues while you stay safe at home is starting a virtual book club! Why a book club, you ask? Reading engages your brain and can help improve your mental health. Furthermore, starting a virtual book club with friends or family is a great way to interact with others while practicing social distancing.
There are a number of video conferencing tools that make this easy to start. It also gives you something to look forward to each month, which is sure to help elevate your mood. Since it’s virtual, it’s even better because you can participate while you create a reading nook in your home to curl in or even go all out and make a home library for yourself!
Looking after your mental health is undeniably important. Learning ways for how to beat the winter blues while you stay safe at home during the pandemic can be as easy as implementing day and night routines, finding ways to be safely social, or choosing a zero gravity chair for recharging your body and mind. While we’ve given you our suggestions on ways to beat the winter blues, if you experience deepening symptoms of depression, always consult a medical professional.
Looking for other ways to boost your overall health this year? Check out these new year resolution ideas to help boost your overall health naturally!
