how to survive the sad winter

If you’re anything like me, sure, winter means the beginning of the holidays, and you can already hear Mariah Carrey on the distance, but those bells also come with a toll. With the new time zone arrangement, or I believe, the daylight savings, people lose an hour of sunlight. It might not make much difference to you, but it is something that affects people in different ways, and let me tell you, I thought it was a hoax, too.

When the new time began two weeks ago, I was semi-okay. Being regularly productive, aware I was still in quarantine, but hey, life wasn’t that bad. I’d crack my window open in the afternoon and I’d get this sense of peace. It seems to me that was swept over the rug. I started dwelling more on things that make me sadder, losing sleep because my sleeping schedule got de-synchronized and overall, just felt unmotivated. The only thing I still want to do some days, let’s be honest, is sleep and cuddle in bed. And that, my friends, makes quarantine all the much harder.

So, I allow myself to think it through and share some tips over how you can improve your mood, if not by much, just a fraction will do. Just to get the sad edge off. And yes, you could technically just avoid it and stay at home like the couch potato you are, but with how the world is now-a-days, I find myself in desperate need of a pick me up, and that might be the case for you, too.

1. Don’t push yourself to wake up early.

I’ve tried doing so and failed miserably. If I don’t achieve it, I begin to feel like a failure, and when I do, the entire day I feel groggy, tired, grumpy, almost achy all over, because no, I do not desire to be awake so soon. While sleeping throughout the night is important to get the appropriate rest, let your body wake itself up on its own. I promise the alternative isn’t better, and this way, you’re taking care of yourself and allowing you a respite from those feelings. Plus, you get to stay cozy a bit more.

2. Find a TV show that comforts you.

Yeah, Youtube videos are all nice and stuff, but they are mostly about real people leading real lives, and I have still yet to find a video that doesn’t mention the word quarantine in it. I get it. We’re in the middle of a pandemic, we must keep social distance, but I hate to be reminded of it every hour of my waking day. So, instead, I took up to chase fiction lives, people leading a normal life outside before the pandemic, and making a gist of it.

Lately I’ve found myself in love with Jane the Virgin again. It is my guilty pleasure. Watching documentaries at night makes me feel excited and awake, and that soothes the inertia I find makes me sluggish most of the day. It is nice to watch them through to unwind at night or just leave them on in the background to keep you company. Nobody wants to be alone in such seasons, and this offers a quick respite to that.

3. Move a little.

I should probably practice what I preach, but truth be told, I’m still getting used to it. Everyone works out during summer. Yep, I want that beach body too (whatever the hell that means). But, no, in these days where it’s rainy outside and your feet feel like an iceberg, it is nice to move.

Take it from a couch potato herself. I love staying in my bed and listen to music, do my homework, read, but my muscles start aching from not moving. Ugh, the struggle.

Instead, try moving around, even if it’s just for ten minutes. A short yoga session, a stretch, doing a quick leg workout, even just walking outside helps. You get a bit of fresh air, get rid of the aches, burn calories and increase your dopamine release. It might be hard to do at first, believe me, I’m a witness, but hey, there’s only plus sides to it.

4. Find something that makes you motivated to finish your week.

For me, that currently is the weekend playing among us with my friends and getting an order from my favorite restaurant on a Saturday. Yes, the week days might be hard, but all in all, finding something, however small, to look forward to will keep you busy daydreaming and might motivate you to go on ahead and be at least slightly productive. And believe me, it’s okay not to be productive, too.

5. Be patient with yourself and allow yourself to rest.

Yes, this is something I needed to hear, and if you’re here, odds are you must, too. It is easy to get caught up in the ‘days of productivity’ challenges, all in the run while feeling burnt out. And that, my friends, is the worst feeling ever. So, if you feel like sleeping in, sleep in. Feel like having a cookie? Do so shamelessly. You might wanna skip a class or a workout or a shower? You won’t die because of it. We’re all humans, and we’re in pretty hefty times, if I do say so myself, so small changes and tokens like that won’t affect anything but your mood–for the better.

So, all in all, these are small tips I try to follow to feel less sad, more rested and overall just a bit less burnt. These times are hard, and we need to find it in ourselves to be easy with our lives. It is a must.

Thank you for reading. I hope it was helpful.

Profuse greetings, Mel.