Cold, holidays, ice, snow (if you live in the right parts of the world), fires in the fireplace, afternoons and evenings curled up with a mug of hot chocolate and a good book. Some cozy days, some gloomy days, some sunny days, some grey days. There is a lot about winter to be excited for…and a lot that just makes us feel down and gloomy (especially if you are not a fan of winter…and live somewhere where winter is really blah).
But there is good news! When winter starts to get old and get you down, here are some ways to keep up good health and good attitude for these remaining grey winter months:
1. Food
What you eat affects so much. Your health AND your mood. Make sure you are eating good whole foods, no processed foods, sugar and dyes. When consuming fruits and vegetables, make sure you are eating the ones in season. Eating fruits and vegetables out of season can cause a whole lot of other problems. You can check out my article HERE about eating in season, and for a list of good winter produce.
2. Essential Oils
They can’t change the weather, but they can help to boost your mood over the dreary winter months. They can also help to keep up your immune system to make sure you stay healthy…which, for me, is a great mood booster. Some winter oils to place into your diffuser are Peppermint and Lemon, Lavender, Wintergreen and Orange, and…should you want a little taste of spring along with a mood booster, Jasmine is also a favorite.
3. Sleep
All year ’round good sleep is essential to good health and mood. Develop good habits of getting to sleep at a decent time each night and stopping the technology time in bed to get better quality sleep.
4. Embrace Cold Weather
This one may be a little hard for those who don’t like cold weather…but there are a lot of benefits to the cold. Use it as an excuse to move. Get out there and warm up with some exercises like a brisk walk to get the heart rate up and the lungs working. It helps stimulate the brain and help to wake you up and improve mood, trust me. We can’t change the weather or the season we are in, but we can use it to the best of our abilities and embrace all the different beauty and health benefits that God has given each season of the year.
5. Fellowship
When it’s cold and ugly outside we really don’t want to go out. SO! It’s a good excuse to curl up at the house with family (or friends) and play some games, watch a movie, and just enjoy each other’s company. Maybe even with some hot tea or hot apple cider. 😉 Don’t use the cold and blah days as an excuse to isolate yourself. Being around your loved ones can really help to improve your mood (at least, most of the time) 😛
