Beating the Winter Blahs: Mood Boosting Tips

I’m a January baby, a bookworm, and a teacher, so I have my reasons to love winter: my birthday, snow days, and excuses to sit for hours on the couch with a book are all winter blessings.
This year, though, I’m finding myself in a predicament: I’m feeling the winter blahs.
Typically, the winter months suit me just fine. I’m not an outdoor type of girl anyway, so in summer, the most I make of nature is to sit on my deck sipping iced tea. I’m not a runner, a camper, a hiker, or a swimmer. Thus, freezing cold days that give me an excuse to stay indoors usually make my heart glow.
This year, though, I’m getting a bit sick of the couch potato life.
Couch Potato LifePerhaps it’s a result of my introversion over holiday break. Usually, my days over break are filled with lunch dates, activities, and shopping. This year, I opted for a couch potato sort of break, unlocking achievements on the Xbox for Netflix shows watched in a row.
It was nice, relaxing, and recharging.
And then came this weekend. The blizzard of 2016 left me trapped indoors all weekend. More Netflix. More napping. More couch sitting with Henry
So perhaps this is why I’m a bit over the couch potato life.
Overcoming the Winter BlahsBut what can one do when it’s the end of January and summer feels like a million miles away? We’re stuck in the sweater weather for quite some time, and my flip flops won’t be grazing the fresh grass for quite a few months.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve found a few ways to pump up the motivation, to refresh my mood, and to dump the frumpy couch sitter within.
1. Try a new exerciseOkay, so as much as I hate nature…I also hate exercising. Lately, I’ve found myself in a rut that usually involves me skipping the exercise. This week, I’ve vowed to try some new exercise classes. Am I nervous about looking like a fool in front of people I don’t know? You bet. But Zumba, here I come :)
2. Feng Shui Your Way to HappyThese past few weeks, my husband and I have been on a “love it or leave it” purge of the house. If we don’t love it or haven’t used it, it’s gone. Other than giving the garbage man a serious case of anger from our twelve bags of trash a week, it’s been refreshing.
I can’t tell you how lighter your mood feels when you lighten the amount of stuff you have. Honestly, the experts are right: less is more. I find I can now appreciate what I have because I can find it. Chad even found pizza shaped plates that were lost in the pantry. What could be better than that for a mood boost? Purge away and you’ll find it takes less effort to do basically everything in your house. Plus, maybe you’ll find your own pizza plate treasures. Check out this article at HGTV about How to Feng Shui Your Bedroom if you want to get started!
3. PandoraMusic can truly do wonders on a tired soul. Lately, whether I’m cooking, watching it snow, or just sitting around, I’ve got Pandora on. It’s amazing how much your favorite song can make you feel like dancing a little bit more and encourage you to get off the couch.
4. Play a GameMy husband and I are guilty of phone addiction. We are the couple at the restaurant who can’t go five seconds without checking our phones. We are always plugged in. Lately, we’ve been taking a few hours a week to put the phones aside and ignore the siren call of the notification. We’ve been busting out the old board games and card games and playing a few time a week. It sounds stupid, but we’ve honestly been having so much fun reconnecting over Phase 10 and Yahtzee.
5. Do a Mini-MakeoverSometimes a style rut can play into a mood rut. Mix something up this month. Whether it’s trying an outfit you’d never try in a million years or getting a new brand of makeup and playing it up, try something new. Ulta and Sephora are great because you can try makeup out before you buy it, and the workers are really nice at helping you find what will work for you. I've been on a huge Urban Decay kick lately. If you're like me and already swimming in products, try out some tutorials on Youtube for new ideas and uses for your palettes. An excuse to buy make-up? Yes, please! Mood boosted already!
6. Eat Healthier NowI usually let myself go over winter and figure I’ll work it out over the summer. Perhaps this can lead to the winter blahs just as much as anything else. Pick one think to work on with your eating habits so that when summer rolls around, you can bust out the shorts and tanks without any hesitation.
This is probably the hardest for me. I love chocolate, junk food, and eating out. Chad and I have been trying to cut back. We’ve been eating at home more, swapping white carbs for whole grains, and eating turkey instead of beef. We’ve also been ditching the soda for water. We’re not doing a perfect job, but I’m hoping that by starting how, we’ll be pros by the time the weather breaks.


Have any winter blah breaking tips? Share below!