Beating those winter blues!! Claire is here with us today talking about just that and will take it from here….

Its winter again, and I spend time each year inwardly strategizing how I can get through the dastardly cold quickly and somehow come out unscathed from its icy avarice. To me, winter is mean. Its seems like a dark cloud of misery waiting to greet me each year. But I refuse to let it steel my joy this time. One of my favorite techniques to use is a kind of ‘glass half full’ approach. Simple positivity, maneuvering my perception of time prior and during the season in a way that allows me to see it as ‘not that bad.’ For example, in the summer, I realize that we are still so far from the winter season that even when summer ends it is greeted by the soft landing of friendly temperatures and festive foods that only the fall can serve. Then cruel winter arrives and I tell my self that spring, the very most magical of all seasons, is only two and a half months away. That’s not that bad.  And as each week passes, I remind myself again, its only ‘just over’ two months away. That’s not that bad. Now its ‘less than two months away.’ That’s not that bad. And then ‘its really only just over a month away.’ That’s not that bad, right?! Before I know it, Spring is here and I can begin reminding myself that Winter is a whole year away, and I can come out of the fetal position I put myself in on December 21st and not worry another moment.

Ok, so maybe I’m a bit dramatic. But surely you’ve felt at some time the need to boost your morale and lift your spirits to ward off those winter blues. If you have, the team has some really great tips for winning the battle of the blues and help you think spring in the middle of the weary winter doldrums.
Me (Claire): Always keep fresh cut flowers in your home. It adds life and color. Also find a really sunny window and sit there with a hot cup of coffee. Coffee makes everything better.

Karen: The older I get, the more I enjoy winter, and these three things make the colder months more enjoyable for me: candlelit date nights in with my husband after our children go to bed, a colorful fruit salad continually in the fridge, and comfy lounge-wear that actually makes me excited to hibernate for a couple of months.

Grace: One thing that boost my joy levels in the winter is fresh flowers. I love getting a bouquet of wild flowers from market to disperse throughout my house.

Anna: Books, books and more books. I’ve found that when the world is too cold to enjoy outdoor activity, it helps me to focus internally and experience growth and new life through the world of literature.

Kathleen: Put on a warm winter jacket, lots of layers & water proof shoes and wander around in the snow with a cup of coffee or a camera – either works. Also, I love a cozy weekend at the cabin with lots of sledding, playing games & good friends.

Char:  I love to beat the winter time blues by getting out and going for a hike in the great outdoors. The muted gray, brown, and white color palette is peaceful. The air is so still… almost feeling reverent. The winter sun sparkles and shines on the bare trees. All so different than summer but so beautiful. And of course, the cold air and exercise is energizing and inspiring!

How do you beat those winter blues?!!