10 Things You Can Do to Survive the Winter Doldrums

couple swinging their child in their arms on the beach

Are you a winter person? If you’re not, winter can be a long and difficult season. So, what can you do to get by? Here are some simple ways to make the most of these colder months:

  1. Dress for winter. The best way to face winter weather is to be prepared for it. When you need to go out, having comfortable and warm clothes, boots, a hat, and gloves will make all the differnce. Who knows, the right clothing may actually make you want to get out more often.

  2. Take a daily walk. This may sound counter-intuitive, but if you don’t like ice skating, skiing, snowboarding, or snowmobiling, try a taking a daily walk. Even if you only go out for 20 minutes a day, the fresh air will clear your head and provide you with some quality quiet time.

  3. Turn on lights. Whether you suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or not, bright light can help lift your spirits when you are prone to depression. You can even take it one step further and purchase a special SAD lamp for light therapy.

  4. Get some exercise. Nothing’s better for lightning a dark mood than a good workout. Whether you go to the gym or have a stationary bike in the basement, getting your heart pounding releases those endorphins which are so important for lifting your mood. Regular exercise is also a great way to shed those post-holiday pounds.

  5. Read a book. Even if you’re not a big reader, there’s nothing like sitting in front of the fire with a good book. Explore your interests, learn something new, or just enjoy all the places a book can take you without ever leaving the house.

  6. Play board games. Need to get the kids (and yourself) away from the TV? Make a long winter afternoon fly by with a board game. Try Monopoly, Cards Against Humanity, Life, or Risk for the adults; Chutes and Ladders or Candy Land for the kids. You might also consider chess, checkers, and card games. Or, for the solitary person, there’s nothing like a 500-piece puzzle to keep you busy on a long winter’s day.

  7. Binge-watch TV. Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you probably know by now that Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon have sparked a second golden age of television. Finally, us couch potatoes have high-quality TV to watch whenever we want on any screen we choose. And, when you binge on Netflix, you can even skip opening credits with the push of a button and watch a full season of your favorite show without ever leaving the couch.

  8. Rearrange the furniture. One way to liven things up during a dull season is to rearrange your furniture. Change the layout of a room and your perspective at the same time. It also gives you a head start on spring cleaning.

  9. Cook for fun. Why not make that book you’re going to read a cookbook? After all, nothing makes us long for comfort foods like cold temperatures and short days. Weather permitting, plan a mid-winter dinner party and reconnect with friends over some of your newly discovered recipes.

  10. Indulge yourself. Whether it’s cooking comfort food, engaging in a favorite hobby, watching TV, or reading, winter offers us all an opportunity to do that one thing we’ve been meaning to or wanting to do, but just never seem to get around to.

While winter may seem interminable, it really won’t be long before spring arrives with all its outside activities and chores. Let winter be your chance to explore something that truly interests you or discover something new. And, if you’re planning to buy a home in the spring, now is the perfect time to make sure you have all your ducks in a row.

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Embrace Home Loans Staff