Cozy up for winter with tips to beat the blues

Now that the days are shorter and colder, it’s time to prepare for winter’s chilly embrace.

Before long the snow will pile up high enough to blot out memories of flowers, butterflies, and bare feet in the grass.

But the season’s gloomy skies don’t have to mean gloomy spirits. Make a point of seeing the silver lining in every snow cloud with our tips for beating the winter blues:

Gear up. Winter is easier to take when you have the right outerwear for tackling the cold and snow. So make sure your winter boots are in good repair and you have at least one warm full-length coat to keep out the wind chill factor. Give your wardrobe a warm, fuzzy makeover with a fresh batch of wooly sweaters, shawls, hats, mittens, socks – mix and match colours, patterns and textures to make bundling up extra fun.

Treat yourself. Maybe it’s as simple as getting a latte every morning instead of regular coffee. Or taking yourself out for winter beverages with friends every Thursday. Or maybe when the ground is thick with snow and slush you’ll realize a spa pedicure is just the thing to perk up your boot-crushed toes while you weather the, um, weather. Treat yourself even more by racking up rewards points when you visit a Vicinity spa, coffee shop, pub or other merchant. Search Vicinity for great spots in your neighborhood.

Stay active. Exercise is a proven mood enhancer. Chase the blues away with a new routine at the gym. Sign up for boxing classes, try spinning, or give zumba a whirl. Vow to find your yoga bliss by trying a class at every yoga studio within a certain area (search out possibilities with Vicinity’s mobile app for iOS and Android, or our online merchant locator).

Relish the sunshine. Many people are sensitive to the season’s lack of sunlight, which disrupts our internal body clock and causes depression ranging from a mild case of the winter blues to full-blown Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). With so few daylight hours in winter it’s important to make the most of the sun’s rays while they shine. Light enters the eye and activates our body clock system, so it’s important to get outside in full sunlight once per day – without sunglasses – for direct sunlight exposure. If you’re commuting to and from work or school in darkness, take 20 minutes at lunch to bundle up warmly and put your face in the sun.

2 comments

  1. Jenny Hoa   •  

    Also listening to good music helps a lot, not just your typical holiday music they blast in malls.

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