How To Beat The Winter Blues

I am back from a long blog hiatus to report to you about a malady I have been suffering from for a month; The Winter Blues.

November was a gray month this year, and even though it didn't snow the entire month, I still felt myself getting more and more sad with each drop of the mercury bar. It is no mystery why this happens; November is a dull limbo in weather and there is very little beautiful about it. Autumn, with its rainbow of harvest colors has turned to a pile of damp brown leaves, and winter looms over us with threat. Everything is dead and cold. It's very easy to get caught up in depression when the weather isolates you from the natural world.

For those of you with family, fear not for this malady, your season is here! But for those like me who are alone, I have come prepared with remedies. You can rise from the oppressive cloud of frost that settles on the shoulders of your coat.

Dress warm, no matter how stupid you look. This is important and honest advice. Trust me when I say that wearing Uggs on the first day of snow because you're afraid of being the only one in the city wearing winter boots isn't exactly the best recipe for a great day. It is the recipe for icy feet, wet socks, and damp moods. And believe it or not, but it can be empowering when you can wear ugly clothes and still be beautiful. I love coats, but most of my thrift store coats don't cut it through bitter wind and snow. I have a large poofy coat, which is horrendous in the style department, but marvelous in the warmth department. On top of being warm, my tickle bone is also warmed by the sight of judging eyes mixed with shivering bodies.

Pick up a new hobby. Cabin fever is inevitable, but you can postpone it if you can make yourself enjoy something inside. I encourage you to go one step further than reading, or painting. Try something you've never done before. Build a model, sew a small quilt, or pick up cooking [for cooking ideas, look for my cooking blog coming soon!]. I know I often encourage hobbies, but that's because I don't think enough people see the value in them.

The important part is to not let others drag you down, which is always easier said than done. People dictate my life, no matter how many times I claim indignantly that I am independent. They can make me happy, or they can make me sad. Chuck the ones that make you sad, because on a cold day, a hurtful relationship can seem so much worst. Surround yourself with people that make you happy. There's no room for drama in November.

Today is the first time it snowed this season, and I am preparing myself for a long winter in a small apartment, and I refuse to be sad. Winter doesn't have to be desolate just because you feel dragged down by your many layers. This will be the happiest winter of my years, and I hope the same for you.