Everyone seems to have the Winter Grumpies lately, including me. We’ve all had too much winter, not enough sunlight, too much snow (in EVERY state except Hawaii), too much cold (even you, Florida) and too many recent natural disasters. We’re all in a funk.
Magazine articles and the BLOG article HPFY’s Alex just posted, all say that if you eat right and exercise, you will cheer right up. Go for a brisk walk! Well, unfortunately, in order to do that I would have to get off the couch and stop eating cookies. When I have the winter blues, nothing will get me away from my couch and cookies.
I have tried non-traditional things in the past couple of months, which have helped a bit. I’m taking meditation classes and learning to breathe deeply and quiet my mind. I’m getting pretty good at the quieting part ---- sometimes my mind gets so quiet it falls asleep. I’ve also been sitting in front of a sunlight therapy lamp. I really love my lamp. On these gloomy, gray days I just keep hitting the “on” button when it automatically shuts off.
Both have helped and neither require any physical activity – a definite plus.
This morning I saw something that makes me think that we’ll all be in a better mood very soon. As I was brushing the snow off my car, I saw a sparrow go through the little round door of our birdhouse. Spring and baby birds can’t be far off! Seventeen more days until the official first day of spring. I almost feel like going for a walk.