Fight Those Winter Blues
Ah, winter. Every chilly morning when my alarm clock furiously begins beeping and I peel one eyelid open only to realize it's pitch dark, all I want to do is throw the clock into the wall and sleep for another hour. Waking up before even the sun does is no easy feat! But we all have to do it for work or children or needy pets.
The best solution would be for living costs to be nonexistent so we didn't have to wake up early to go to work or school, obviously. But since that's never going to happen, I discovered the next best solution: The use of a wakeup light alarm clock!
This nifty little invention replaces the awful screeching alarm clock that we've grown to hate so much. Instead, the wakeup light gently asks you to open you eyes to the sounds of chimes, or birds, or similar soothing sounds. (It also has a more standard beeping sound for those of you who enjoy falling asleep to the sounds of the rainforest and such.) But the best feature is that it mimics the sunrise for those dark winter mornings.
The wakeup light begins illuminating thirty minutes prior to your set alarm, then progressively gets brighter and brighter until it's time for the alarm to sound. By that time, your eyes have already adjusted to the brightness. And you can flip the main light switch without blinding yourself each day.
I use my wakeup light every day I go to work, and though I absolutely despise mornings, they've become more manageable. You can find several models of wakeup lights sold on Amazon.com for reasonable prices.
Another way to fight the winter blues is by maintaining an exercise routine. I know, it becomes much harder when it's cold outside, and working out in a gym isn't for everyone. But there are plenty of other ways to move around!
When you run your errands, park far away on purpose to get more walking in. Do jumping jacks and other calisthenics in your living room when you have that five-minute gap of time before you have to leave the house. Play with your kids, grandkids, or pets—they have enough energy to keep you going! Listen to your favorite music while you clean your home and dance along with your vacuum. Shopping with friends? Power walk around the mall to get a grand overview before honing in on what you'd like to purchase.
Finding little ways to stay active is extremely important during the winter months. Did you know that exercising releases endorphins, which is why so many active people have such a zest for life? Physical activity actually makes you happy!
I'm one of many people who don't work out as often as I should. In fact, I was in a bit of a slump after gaining holiday weight and it became easier to sit on the couch eating holiday leftovers than actually being proactive about my concerns. But last week, I'd had enough! I went on an hour-long walk around a beautiful neighborhood with picturesque houses, and by the time I returned home, I felt so great and so productive and so much happier than I had been before!
I don't know many people who favor winter—I'm a spring and summer girl myself—and it can be hard to make it through the shorter days with your weight management and mood balance intact. But there are ways to make it more bearable. These are some ideas to get you started. Please share any other tips you find useful! We'd love to hear what works for you!