Snap Out of the Mid-Winter Blues!
By Ellen Corsi
Yes, it's that time of year when you wish it was summer! The blue skies, warm temperatures, green grass, and trees full with leaves. Coming back to reality, at least where I live gray skies are the norm with cold winds, freezing rain and snow, and last but not least, professional football is about over for the season. Do you wonder why people get the mid-winter blues? I think not!
I always liked the line in the movie, Moonstruck, where Cher tells her boyfriend to, "snap out of it!" That's what you want to do during this dreary time. I tend to keep things to do in the back of my mind just for this time of year. The holidays are over, you should be able to relax a little, and pick up some "winter" things to do that you've been putting off- until now.
There are "winter" things to do, so here are some ideas that may help you snap out of your seemingly doldrums existence, at least for the moment:
1. Think of projects that you definitely do not want to do during the summertime, such as framing a print that's been sitting around the house for six months or so. You will find it is a creative boost to find an amazing frame and colorful matting to really show it off!
2. Plan a vacation for next month. If you need to get away, now is a great time. Where haven't you been that you would like to go and spend some time exploring? If you can't do it right away, have some fun planning the trip for next year.
3. Take a look around your house, condo or apartment. There are always small projects (or big projects) that you'd like to do to make it more fun to live there, such as painting a room, or something as simple as changing the knobs on your doors to some that look really interesting and different. The smallest project can change your mood and make you feel better. Later, you'll look back and say that project helped me get through last winter!
4. Rearrange your furniture, or buy some new furniture to perk up your space. By moving the furniture around, you'll get away from that one spot where you always sit, which will mix things up a bit. It sounds very simple, but it works! Buying new furniture is always fun and will pull you out of a low mood!
5. Have a get together with old friends that you haven't seen for awhile, and just get out of the house. However, if you are out of the house most of the time and want something fun to do at home, invite friends to your house and have a "summer" party indoors. That always kicks up the mood!
6. Catch up on some movies that you really wanted to see and missed on the first run.
7. Start watching 24 on the Fox channel on Monday nights. You'll be on the edge of your seat for an hour!
8. Get away for the weekend. A change of scenery for a couple of days can do wonders!
9. Dream of "sunny and 85."
10. Start planning your summer activities now! What do you really want to do this summer? Take a trip, see a baseball game, go to an outdoor concert, go to the races, visit out-of-state friends or family, or have a cook-out that beats all cook-outs? The choice is yours, and you have time to start thinking about it and planning it now!
Snapping out of the mid-winter blues is a funny thing. It's kind of like a mind game. Instead of thinking about the not-so-great time of year, amuse yourself with little things that make you happy, whatever it may be. As they say, it's only temporary!
