It’s safe to say that these past few months haven’t been typical for the usually icy, windy Maryland winter. The sky is clear, birds are chirping, lawn mowers are grumbling, and it feels like we’re more likely to be victims of a hurricane than a snow day.
Nevertheless, winter is winter. Whether it’s nice out or not, the winter season is the source of much of our lazy, sleepy, even depressive feelings. So I’ve come up with a list of tips to help keep you upbeat and positive during these last few months of winter. And, although the weather is out of the ordinary, these tips are always in season.
1. Read a book
With the days getting darker earlier, it’s tempting to curl up in front of the TV every day and fall asleep to the “Friends” theme song. While this may seem like a good idea, watching too much TV will only make you feel lazier and more restless. Instead, try picking up a new book. You exercise your brain more when you read, and tracking your progress as you flip each page may help you feel more accomplished.
Not to mention, there are plenty of great new books out. Try something funny like Kevin Wilson’s The Family Fang, or something romantic like Jeffrey Eugenides’ The Marriage Plot. You’ll feel much better about yourself after finishing a good book than after finishing the entire Jersey Shore series.
2. Make a new playlist
Remember those songs you downloaded this summer, the ones you still listen to on repeat? Put them on mute for a minute. If you know all the lyrics well enough to sing them in your sleep, it’s time for new music.
Find a new artist, a new album, or whatever it takes to get you on your feet again and dancing. Shaking things up a bit will make the season less dreary, and might even make time go by a little faster.
3. Get off of Facebook
It might take you a few minutes to find the “log out” button (upper right corner), but just try and see what happens if you close Facebook for a while. Addiction to the Internet is actually becoming a common source of depression among young people; and especially during winter it’s good to close your computer and try doing something more active.
So save the notifications and tagged photos for another day. I promise, you’ll miss out on a lot more if you glue your face to your computer screen all day.
4. Go outside
With weather as random as this, why not take every second you can to soak in the sun? It’s easy to use winter as an excuse to stay inside all day snacking on Oreos and watching reruns of The O.C., but try to put those habits aside and go outside instead.
Take a walk, go for a run, anything to get you up and moving. Lets face it, we probably won’t have another winter like this ever again – might as well take advantage of it now.