With the cold season coming up, it’s hard to not feel the seasonal depression that creeps up on us all. It is important that we prioritize battling this rather than letting it consume us. Why do we feel this way once the cold weather hits? I would say the lack of sun and lack of spending time outside is to blame. There are other ways to self-care without basking out in the warm sun, so I am going to share a couple of these with you.
Journaling may sound like a mental health cliche, but speaking from personal experience, it really does help. When I first started journaling, I found myself focusing a lot on the negative, which is important to help us get our negative emotions out. However, we need to focus on the positive as well. The easiest way to do this is by looking up positive journal prompts. There are tons of good ones all over Google, and most of these reflections you can do daily.
Reading a good book is a fantastic way to escape reality. It is especially relaxing when you are curled up on the couch with a blanket wrapped around you. Need some feel-good book recommendations? Better Than the Movies, The Love Hypothesis, and Beach Read are just to name a few.
There are a variety of puzzles out there that can be done, and I don’t just mean Jigsaw puzzles. Crossword puzzles, sudoku, or word searches are all puzzles as well. They challenge your brain and get you thinking, which is beneficial for your brain health. This could also be a fun activity to do in a group with friends or family to make it even more interesting.
There is nothing better than the feeling of whipping up a sweet treat. There are so many benefits to baking, the main one being that it is known to relieve stress. As an added bonus, turning on the oven will heat up your living space and make it feel more cozy! The end result is delicious, and this is another activity you could do with more people.
We tend to lay around when it’s cold out, but it’s more than beneficial to get our bodies moving; this increases blood flow to the brain. For me personally, I don’t like intense exercising. If you’re like me, then yoga is the perfect solution for you. It relieves stress and gets you minimally active. If you do like to work out, then do that! You could use exercise machines, but if you don’t have any in your house, YouTube has some great routines just to get you sweating.
There are tons of other ways to keep your mind busy while indoors during these cold seasons. Just always remember to prioritize yourself and your well-being!
