It happens every year. After the excitement of the holidays and the first few snowfalls pass, you’re left with the midwinter bitter cold and wish you could just fast forward to the summer. It’s easy to get into this winter slump, but it can be just as easy to pull yourself out of it.
Working out is the best way to lift your spirits. It can relieve you of your stress, makes you feel great about yourself, and most importantly, releases endorphins in the mind to brighten your mood. After a while running on the treadmill can make you feel like a hamster on a wheel, so do something fun like zumba or aerobics. On those days when you look out the window and shutter at the thought of walking to the gym in the drizzly snow and rain, do a workout DVD of some sort. Jillian Michaels is always a favorite—she will kick you right into shape.
It’s always important to pamper yourself. The winter can be so harsh on your hair, skin, and nails, so make yourself feel beautiful with a little at-home spa treatment. Go on Pinterest and find an at-home moisturizing facemask, paint your nails a bright, summery shade, and soak your feed in some suds. Not only will you feel fresh and new afterward, but it will also help you relax during a stressful semester.
While it’s too cold to do the outdoor activities you may love, try some of the fun, cheap, indoor options instead. Grab your girl friends and go bowling or roller-skating. It sounds cheesy and totally lame, but it is bound to be a great trip down memory lane and bring you right back to middle school when you ruled those places. Let loose and allow yourself feel like a kid again.
But, if you are brave enough to face the weather, take advantage of all that the snow has to offer. Go on a weekend ski trip or try tubing! For those of us that are not quite as coordinated, tubing is an exciting idea. There is absolutely no work or skill required, just enjoy the ride! There’s even a rope that pulls you back up the hill, so there is no trudging through the snow involved. When you’re too busy to devote yourself to an entire weekend away, attend the free skate sessions at the Whittemore Center.
In the end, sometime you can’t shake the winter blues. On days like that, as long as it’s not too often, just embrace it. Call your girls, grab a box of tissues, and watch the saddest, most romantic movies that will make you bawl like a baby. It’s kind of cleansing to have a good cry every now and again. Luckily, The Vow comes out soon, which is the perfect opportunity for this. If the romance alone can’t take you out of your slump, Channing Tatum definitely can.