I looked outside this morning and it's snowing again. What can I say...sometimes I get so tired of winter, the snow and cold, bbrrr.
Here are 10 tips to help you change your perception of winter and bring warmth and light into a chilly life:
-Raise the blinds and let the light shine in. Sit by the window look out and gaze, or read. Feel the warmth.
-Try eating more hot soups and stews. Add beans and lentils to your diet. These hearty meals are both comforting and nourishing. (If you use canned soups pay attention to the amount of sodium as many ready-made soups are high in sodium.)
-Go outside to reset your biological clock. Let natural sunlight counteract SAD. Appreciate the winter landscape: the “tree architecture” that we never notice when the leaves are flourishing, or the feathery ornamental grasses swaying in the wind.
-Exercise to stimulate and bring warmth to your body. Many of us are bored with treadmills and stairmasters that go nowhere. Change up your routine. Dress warmly and go for a brisk fitness walk. If you can get to the shore, a walk on the beach is peaceful and inspiring. Try some new classes in Pilates, Yoga, Belly Dancing, Salsa and Weight Training. Join a league to participate in fun team sports. Get a buddy to exercise with or make friends in fitness centers.
-Connect with sunny people. Do volunteer work. We tend to get isolated in the winter and keep to our igloos. Get out and see positive people who appreciate you and if you can’t get out, use the phone or email.
-Bring tropical plants into the house. Their gracious leaves and greenery will lift your spirits and give you a taste of eternal summer.
-Look at the color orange which is cheering. No need to repaint your home; just put something orange on the desk or your coffee table.
-Try a warm glowing candle light meditation. Light a candle in the evening and stare at the flame for about 30 seconds to a minute. Then close your eyes and breathe to your own natural rhythm and see what comes up for you in meditation.
-Give yourself an auto-massage. Warm some inexpensive olive oil in the microwave and massage your body from head to toe. Long strokes for the limbs, circular strokes for the torso. Make sure to massage the temples, and using your thumbs, do windshield wiper movements under and over your eyes. Feel the warmth pervade your body.
-Simplify your home, room by room. Clean out the clutter and donate what you have not used in years. In winter we tend to contract and go inward. Use this indoors time to organize your home. Sharing with the needy will give you an inner glow.
Source