We have reached that point in the semester where the weather is brutally cold, spring break is out of sight and summer is even further. It feels like you are stuck in a never ending cold, cloudy world with no end in sight. Dealing with the winter time can be tough, especially if your work load is heavy and your stress levels are soaring. As someone who grew up in these harsh Northeastern conditions, I have a few tips to spare to help beat the winter blues and to help get through the winter faster.
1. Watch a show with your friends
A good way to pass the time is to watch a show with your friends or/and roommates. My friends and I love to watch The Bachelor, so every Monday we get together with snacks and soak in the entertainment. It’s a great show to get hooked on and something to do at night every Monday. Although it is definitely overdramatic, it is fun to make bets on who will win or talk about how the girls obsess over the guy. Other shows are out now too that you and your friends can watch, and it will definitely make the time fly by.
2. Get a tan
If you are a summer person and miss that summer glow, do not worry; get a fake tan! There are many products you can use to give yourself a little color, such as an instant bronzer from L’Oréal or Hawaiian Tropic at your local drugstore. A popular tanning place near Quinnipiac is Tommy’s Tanning. They offer spray tans, bed tans, and other options for those who want to look like they just stepped off a beach, and they even promote tan free weekends! There are many options for those who are looking to get a tan, so look around!
3. Go on a trip
Getting away from the area, whether it means 30 minutes away or a plane ride away can help you escape the winter feels. Some popular things you can do is go out of town to eat or do an activity, spend a weekend with your friends at a nearby resort, or if you really have a thick wallet, take a trip to sunny place. If someone has a car, you can drive out of town and go shopping or grab something to eat; or just do something fun and different! The school also organizes trips to Boston or NYC for a cheap price and it can be a really fun city day with your friends. Spring break can also be an opportunity to go down south and relax in the warm weather, and finding Airbnb’s/flights can sometimes be affordable. Leaving school for a little can be helpful and refreshing, and can make you feel better.
4. Take up a hobby
There are many hobbies that you can branch or look into that can make you forgot the winter blues. A fun and relaxing activity that you can do is art! You can go out and buy art supplies and create cool drawings and paintings to decorate your room with. There are also painting classes that you can do with your friends which can be really fun, or you can find a Bob Ross YouTube video to paint to. If you want to embrace the winter, you can go ice skating or take up skiing. There are ice skating rinks in the area as well as at York, where they sometimes open the rink for casual ice skating. Ski mountains are available as well for skiing and snowboarding, and the school also offers rides and cheap lift tickets to nearby mountains through the club QUSnow. These are a few hobbies that I particularly like to do over the winter, but there are many more to get involved in, like baking, yoga, dancing, fitness classes or cooking!
5. Spa day
A simple way to feel great and fresh, and forget the winter is going to a spa! Spas are a great way to wind down, get pampered, and feel amazing. There are spas right near Quinnipiac as well that are not super expensive and really cool. Some may even have saunas and pools, or clay and salt rooms. Other spa specialties can be facials, massages and getting your nails done. They are great places that make you feel like you’re escaping reality for a bit and definitely something you will not regret.