This winter wellness post was sponsored by Nature Made® as a part of an Ambassador Program for Influence Central. #NatureMadeatWalmart
Oh, friends. Today, I have been given the task of providing inspiration for mind/body wellness during these cold, dark, and often far too busy winter months, and truth be told, I’m not feeling it. I would love to be a beacon of light, a bringing of a spark of hope to those who are just beginning to feel the downward slide into winter (like me.) But I have to be honest – Seasonal Affective Disorder is something that hits me each year, and I’ve noticed that it isn’t getting any easier as the years go by. And this year, in particular? Well, without going into too much detail, my overall health isn’t at its peak, to say the least. BUT, now that I’ve divulged a little about myself that I don’t usually spill here, I will say that I think these peculiarities make me uniquely qualified to offer up a few of the things that have helped me in the past, when my spirits plummeted during the hustle and bustle that so many deem “merry.”
It all comes down to finding that elusive balance between body and mind. Because after all, health is as much about your emotional health as your physical health, right? Read on for 20 of my favorite quick and easy, totally doable, everyday pick-me-ups that really do seem to have a positive effect on my overall winter wellness.
- Exercise. I can’t stress this one enough. Even if you’re doing squats while you cook dinner, every little bit helps. We are joining the Y until spring, when we can get back outside. We did the same last year, and it worked wonders.
- Never underestimate the power of a good cup of tea.
- Never underestimate the power of a good Pina Colada, Mai Tai or Margarita in the dead of January.
- Diffuse those oils, friends. Citrus oils work so well for me in the cold, dark weather.
- MORE PLANTS. They not only help purify the air in your home, but they will remind you that green still exists in the world.
- Break out those summer recipes.
- While you’re at it, break out the grill! And splurge for out-of-season watermelon!
- Book a trip! Winter is the perfect time for a mid-season getaway to somewhere warm. Or, somewhere that’s just different. (We’re traveling locally in December, just for a change of scenery.)
- If a trip isn’t in the budget, start planning next year’s vacation! We book our late summer beach trip every year in December or January, just so we can put it on the calendar and start dreaming.
- Get out. Forget holiday shopping…what a drag. Arrange a book club, lunch with the ladies, treat yourself to the spa. Fun “stepping stone” events will make the season fly by
- Sleep. You know you should be getting more of it, right? Do it now. Getting up earlier will help you make the most of what sunlight we do have this time of year, and getting adequate sleep will do nothing but good things for your body (and mind.)
- Bust out those Gidget movies! (Did I just date myself there? I did, didn’t I…)
- Start planning your garden. Pencil diagrams and everything. Get online and order seed and plant catalogs. Believe it or not, it’s time! And when they arrive in your mailbox, you’ll know that spring isn’t far behind.
- Learn a new thing. What’s your thing? Knitting. Calligraphy. French macarons. Whatever it is, you’ve got 2 months to master it. GO.
- Switch up your wall art. How long has that painting been on the wall? Is it uplifting? Would a splash of color do the trick? Give it a try. You spend a lot of time in your house during the winter, so make it the uplifting haven it should be.
- Same goes for bedding. New sheets = new attitude.
- Get a light box. No, I’m no doctor, but therapeutic light boxes really do work for some. Brains are complicated, but sometimes they’re so simple, too.
- Add herbs to everything. Random? Maybe. But herbs are my own personal lifesaver, and I plan to have a garden window installed this year so I can grow them to add to everything from soups to desserts all winter long. It’s just incredible what those little sprigs of freshness can do to your mood when all the world is white.
- Invest in a babysitter and warm up date night. ’nuff said, right? Moving right along…
- Ok, this is a big one, and the most serious one on my list. If you’re on any medications, please, please make sure you take them. No matter what they are for. I’m known far and wide in my circles of family and friends for not ever taking the meds I’m supposed to take every day, and it’s a horrible habit. Depression and anxiety are jerks like that, and they can sabotage your own efforts by telling you that it just doesn’t matter, but it does. Thyroid, too. Nothing causes me more of a snowball effect in my own health than neglecting my meds, and this is the year that I’m going to get a handle on it. AND, not only am I going to take what I need, I’m going to take it one step further and get on a good Nature Made® vitamin and supplement regimen, too.
Because my health is worth it.
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