Winter is here! I know most of us at least like the Holiday Season enough that winter does not bother us, but there is no time like the present to get ready for the cold, bleak days of January. I have lived near Cleveland for the past four years, where it is winter eight months out of the year. Before I had lived in Africa for a few years and while I do have plans to live in the tropics again at some point, I have finally figured out how to stay sane during the Cleveland winters.
This post does contain affiliate links cause that how bloggers roll these days.
Get a Happy Light
I resisted getting one of these for the longest time but last January I finally broke down and bought one
Get Lots and Lots of Candles
I love candles. I especially love candles during the long dark days of winter. I get the scented kind, and I burn them on my desk while I am writing. I am not sure why but it makes writing feel extra special. Plus if you hit upon the right scent that excites you, you will feel unstoppable. In the book, The Happiness Project
Get a Subscription To Scribd
I know I know I am a bad library supporter. However when it is 10 degrees outside, and there are snowdrifts taller than I am, I am NOT braving the elements to get to the library…often…However thanks to Scribed and the library’s overdrive I can get lots of books on my Kindle to curl up in and read. Perfect for after a day of writing and it is too dark or cold to go anywhere.
Get Floor Lamps
I hated harsh overhead lamps so last year I splurged on som nice floor lamps. It gives my living room/writing area that nice atmospheric touch.
Follow Paleo
I am a die hard Paleo Lifstyler. I find that as long as I eat whole, unprocessed food and take 10,000 IU of Vitimen D a day and take mega dosages of Fish oil I am in a pretty good mood most of the time. There is science to back this up, so I am not going into it here but if you have tried everything and you still feel down in the dumps, give Paleo a try.
Get Cute Pajamas
In the winter time, I live in Pjs. I am in my apartment most of the time, and it is the perfect excuse to go out and but cute Pjs. Yes, I even work in my pajamas in the winter. I still like to look cute though so I made me a Pinterest board of Pj’s that I like. Being all comfy in cute Pajamas, with candles burning and soft lights makes the outside weather seem…quaint….. almost.
Keep In contact with Friends
I am the worst with this. So bad that I made a Contactually list called friends so I will remember not to drop off the face of the earth. This also does wonders for beating depression. I am an introvert, but even introverts need contact with the rest of the human race. There is nothing like a good Skype session with a good friend to uplift your spirits.
I tried a bunch of those things for winter as well. Unfortunately, the happy lamp may have exacerbated a little hypomania, and I was told to avoid them from now on. That was certainly not the only factor in my illness, however, and I’ve heard that many bipolar people are helped by happy lamps.