Liz Furl | On 18, Dec 2014
Autumn (at least in upstate New York) is an amazing season, and I don’t care if you call me a basic bitch for saying so.
The leaves take on the colors of earth and the setting sun. The apple trees bear fruit and inspire baked goods and crispy bites in the midst of the orchard.
We stop thinking of iced coffee and turn towards – of course – pumpkin spiced lattes.Eventually, though, Daylight Savings approaches. At first, it feels like found money – a sort of holiday we forget is coming until one day you turn to your calendar: Oh! This weekend is Fall-Back! And, like a long weekend, you begin to plan: a long night out at the bars (of course you will research which ones honor the extra hour), a themed-party not unlike the ones you used to have in college, or simply sleeping in after a long night of binging on wine and Netflix. Whether you’re awake for the blessed hour is irrelevant; simply knowing that it’s there to indulge in is enough.
However, the days after Fall-Back can feel like a hangover that lasts for months. Unless you’re incredibly lucky, you get up in the dark and you leave work in the dark. Any daylight hours afforded to you are squandered under fluorescent lighting, and, especially as it grows colder, it becomes harder to convince yourself to leave the sacred (and blessedly cozy) space that is your apartment. Slowly, imperceptibly, you slip into the doldrums of sweatpants, messy buns, Chinese delivery, and reality TV.
Where’s the girl who barely spent a day away from the beach? The one who indulged in haunted hayrides and cocktails on the deck, and always sought out things to do with others? Where did she go, and how can you get her back?
Before we get there, however, you should note that there is a difference between a simple case of Winter Blues, and something more. There’s a diagnosable condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder (which was given the appropriate acronym of SAD) that often occurs during the winter months. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms include feeling depressed most of the day, every day; having low energy; having trouble sleeping and/or oversleeping; losing interest in activities you typically enjoy; irritability; hypersensitivity; and weight gain, among others. These would begin at the beginning of the season, and worsen throughout, and if you feel that they apply to you, stop reading here, and check in with your doctor to be safe.
However, if your feelings consist of ‘blah,’ ‘meh,’ or some other grunt that implies laziness, apathy, and cold, congratulations – I’ve found the cure! . . .or at least some favorite ways to manage the symptoms.
There is good news and bad news: all of these are incredibly easy, but they’re going to feel hard. Remember: You’ve agreed to let me be your Winter Blues Guru. So trust me, grasshopper, and all will be well.
Exercise
I know what you’re thinking – we’re starting off on a bad foot – but we’re not. You do not have to be one of those crazy people jogging briskly around in Under Armour breathing out steam that ought to be coming off hot chocolate instead of out of a human. In fact, I don’t even expect you to leave your house.
The only way that I will work out, especially in the winter, is by doing yoga videos on YouTube. My favorite is Yoga With Adrienne, mainly because the videos are easy to undertake, and she focuses on explaining form, so you don’t get frustrated by terms like Adho Mukha Svanasana. She even has a routine for combating the winter blues. The videos are anywhere from 15 minutes to 45 minutes long, so it’s not a big time commitment, and you never have to get out of your pajamas. Besides, yoga is an amazing way to calm down, get happy, and feel ready to do something when you’re done.
If you want something more energetic, try Zumba videos, or blast some music while you clean the house, Mrs. Doubtfire style. Listen to “Gonna Fly Now” on repeat and tackle the flights of stairs in your apartment building. No need for a gym membership, or a trip out into the cold.
The Sun Is Your New Clock
You should be up when it’s up. Yes, this means that you’ll have to wake up anywhere between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. eastern time, but I’m right there with you, sharing your pain. My alarm goes off at 6:15 a.m., and I hate it. . .until I actually get up. I feed my cats, I do some morning yoga if I’m feeling it, I make coffee and I leisurely get ready for work. Maybe I fall asleep early (think 7:30) some nights, but it beats the hell out of rushing around in the morning, wondering where I put my other shoe. And when do you think these articles get written?
Besides, there’s nothing better than watching the sunrise to make you feel great about your life. Try it. I promise you’ll love it. And if you don’t, tweet me your early morning complaints – I’ll be up and ready to respond. . .as long as I’ve had some coffee first.
Say Yes
Okay, it’s time to get out of the house. You’ve exercised, you’ve had a productive morning, and it’s time to socialize. Remember that? It used to be fun – until it started getting dark at 4 p.m.
I’ll let you in on a secret: it’s still fun, even if it’s cold and dark outside. So when someone texts you to grab a drink after work, say yes. If a friend wants to meet for Saturday morning coffee, say yes. And if your boyfriend wants to take you to dinner, by god say yes, because I bet you have a fridge full of leftovers and random, non-cohesive ingredients, and not much else.
No, you won’t feel like it right away. No, it won’t be easy to get your butt out the door. But you will feel glad you did it – and think of it this way: if it sucks, you can crawl right back to Netflix and the couch.
Don’t Forget To Indulge Every Now & Then
This shouldn’t be something that I should need to remind you of, but somehow it doesn’t feel like a priority when there’s slush on the sidewalk. But here’s the thing: just because you’re not wearing flip-flops doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a pedicure. Even if you can’t read on your porch anymore, it feels great to buy your entire Barnes and Noble wishlist. And you know that getting a fancy cocktail after work just feels better than ordering whatever’s cheapest.
These things aside, the real takeaway is that even though winter can easily lead to happiness hibernation, you deserve better than that. Just because your appendages are numb doesn’t mean you don’t need that dose of warm and fuzzy. And if the weather refuses to give that to you, then you need to give it to yourself.
(Feature Photo via We Heart It)