6 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

Every season has its purpose and it’s fun to see the changes throughout the year. While summer tends to be more fun with school out and warm temperatures, winter can bring mixed feelings. Shorter days, colder weather, and more time spent indoors can affect your mood. We’re sharing our top ways to beat the winter blues so you can keep your spirits up until springtime comes back around.  

Move Your Body – Besides warming you up, exercise is great for boosting your mood, energy, and leaving you feeling more relaxed. If you’re on a Bald Head Island vacation, take a stroll on the beach or explore the hiking trails. If it’s too cold for a run outside, you can look online for free workouts. Even a little yoga, stretching, or a fun dance workout can do the trick. There are various apps available to download and you can get a custom routine. 

Monitor Your Screentime – What do we do when we’re bored? Go online, watch tv, scroll social media...nothing wrong with these things! But if you find yourself feeling down, it could be due to what you’re seeing online. Depressing news, everyone else on vacation, more pandemic stats – all these can pile up and bring you down. Be sure to unplug when needed and be present. 

Try Something New – We always say there are things we’d love to try if we had the time. Take advantage of the evenings at home and explore a new hobby. Learn to play an instrument, take up knitting, try painting, or redecorate that room you’ve been meaning to get to. When you finish a project, the sense of accomplishment will give you a nice push to try more things and winter will be over before you know it.  

Get Enough Sleep – Good sleep hygiene is vital for your physical and mental health. It’s easy to binge your favorite shows or stay up late talking on the phone or scrolling the internet, but that loss of sleep will catch up to you. There’s nothing that will make you more cranky than having to function on just a few hours of sleep. For a good sleep routine, start winding down early to set the tone. Put phones away, turn the TV off, and maybe do some light reading to relax. Your good sleep routine can promote an improved mood as well as enhanced energy levels.  

Keep in Touch – We all know the effects of not seeing our loved ones as often as we like. The pandemic has definitely put a wrench in travel plans the last two years. But even though we might not get to visit in person, don’t forget the importance of keeping in touch. Plan Zoom dates or virtual dinners. Send a card to let someone know you’re thinking of them. Actually give them a call and catch up in real time. Hearing from your loved ones is sure to boost your mood and they’ll enjoy it just the same.  

Get out of Town – Change things up with some new scenery! The same dreary weather and early sunsets can get old so go somewhere new. Take a Bald Head Island vacation and enjoy the beach. Go where the snow is or more south where it’s not as cold. Bald Head Island has spacious homes to accommodate your whole family or a reunion with friends. Order matching pajamas and binge watch your favorite movies. A week away can give you just the boost you need to survive this winter.  

Cold, winter days can be dreary but there are plenty of winter sports to enjoy. You can also curl up next to a cozy fire or enjoy a hot tub. Try to focus on the good things about winter and remember that it’s only temporary. Before you know it, we’ll be back out lounging on the beach for summer!