I used to think that winter
was a cold spell in January. No worries, February is just around the corner, I
used to think. And by April, life was all flowers, sunshine and bunnies.
Then we moved to Northern
Virginia.
Oh, hi there wintertime.
What’s that you say? You start in November and last until April? Really?
Hey, in my defense, I grew
up in Southern California and have only lived in the southern half of the
United States. I thought what I had was the norm. I had heard stories about
snow but I thought people were talking about Canada. So, basically I was
completely naïve.
We arrived in our new state
(and new biome) right at the beginning of winter. Sadly, there was no easing
into winter last year. It was bitterly cold, dark and snowy. For weeks. I know it was bad
because even the locals were complaining about it. It seems a lot of people have trouble coping with winter.
I think reality set in for
me last February when I was talking to one of my local friends and was like,
“Wow! Isn’t it crazy that we’re getting snow in February?!”
And she responded, “We always get snow in February and usually March, too.”
I casually responded, “Oh,
ok. Good to know.” But inside my heart was breaking.
Anyway, I was beyond joyous
to see springtime come. I was so thrilled that I wanted to kiss every
tulip bulb. We had survived! Thank you, Lord!
I didn’t think about
winter again until early November when the first snowflake
showed up on my 10-day forecast.
Gulp.
It was back.
But – hooray! – I had
learned a few lessons and was going to fight back against the wintertime blues this
time around. (To be fair, this winter has been much milder than last winter.
Still, all winter wartime tactics are being used.)
Here is a list of what is
saving my life right now, right here, right in the middle of winter.
1) I’m using
my “Happy” light every morning. I
heard about this light therapy stuff late last winter, when someone posted that
this light was on sale on Amazon and how much it had helped them. Then I read
the reviews and I was convinced enough to buy it and give it a try. I only
partly believed it would help, but the first few times I tried it, I realized
that it DID really help me get moving in the morning. So, this winter, I pulled
it out at the first sign of snow, and I have been sitting in front of it every
morning since.
2) Along with
my light therapy, I’m setting aside time to read my Bible every morning. It’s me, my “sunshine”, my cup of coffee, and my
Bible. No pets, husband or kids. I’ve never been able to carve a few minutes
for myself in the morning and I’ve always wanted to do it. I’m realizing the
trick is to lock yourself away in your room and ignore everyone. It’s the only
way I can do it. Having a “buffer zone” before dealing with the crazies and
craziness of the day has been a game changer for me. I highly recommend it!
3)
Taking extra Vitamin D and exercising regularly. It’s so cold and dark that most days I don’t want to
move my body away from the fireplace. I have to fight the urgings of the
fireplace, though, because even if I squeeze in only two workouts a week, it makes
a big difference in my mood, stress levels and lessens my backaches. As for the
Vitamin D, taking it also has a significant effect on my energy levels. If I
haven’t taken it in a few days, and then I take it, I notice a big jump in my
energy the following days. It has happened enough times to not be a
coincidence.
4)
Trader Joe’s Very Green 100% Juice Smoothie. I love salads nine months out of the year but during
the cold months give me my comfort foods. I know I’m not getting enough fruits
and vegetables, at least, not as much as I would be getting during the summer
months. To compensate, I have a glass of this juice with my lunch almost every
day. It looks kind of gross but tastes surprisingly good. And the ingredient
list is impressive. In addition to the usual juice smoothie ingredients, it
also has a dried greens blend of broccoli, spinach and barley greens, ginger,
parsley and garlic.
5)
Good Books. It’s
a little bit of heaven to curl up on the couch with a good book in a cozy room,
preferably with a fireplace, as the snow is falling outside. Plus, reading is the
(my) perfect way to fill the gap in time when some activity has been
cancelled because of the weather. I love the ideas on this winter reading list.
6)
Tea in the afternoon. The
kids and I enjoy Harney & Sons Decaf Vanilla Tea. I've started buying it in bulk on Amazon because we drink so much of it.
I’m linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy to find out what's saving other people this winter. Since I’m new to this whole
winter thing, I need all the help that I can get!
