Simple Steps You Can Do At Home To Help Beat the Winter Blues
We all go through it: that underwhelming feeling during the lull of the year. It's dark out much earlier, you're still feeling all the unhealthy food you partook in over the holidays, and there is a chance your backyard is filled with snow. Most of the time, small details in your immediate surroundings, such as your living spaces, can make a big impact in how you feel on the day-to-day during the winter months. It's normal to feel a little blue when all of these things are at play but with these five tips, you will soon be springing into a warmer mood.
Light Fresh Spring Candles There is something to be said for clearing out all your fall scented candles and filling your rooms with the scent of springtime. From rose petal to bright citrus, the spring scents take you to warmer, happier place, even if it's just in your living spaces. The smallest of details centered around your senses can be a huge mood-booster.
Mix it Up! Mix up small details in your home decor by replacing your accent pillows and throw blankets, and add florals with bright buds for an extra pop of color.
Get Organized! Invest in new storage pieces to make you feel more put together. You can also include simple things that make you more energized into your new routine such as making your bed every morning and hanging all your clothes back up after trying them on. Seems like a small detail, but it is definitely one that if neglected, can pile up and become a huge deal of stress for you.
Take Warm Detox Baths It may be cold out, but warm up with up with a bubble bath and relax. Incorporate vanilla or lavender and epsom salts or bath bombs for a luxe experience. Sometimes all the body and mind needs is a simple reset, and a warm bath with healing elements will help in riding yourself of the winter blues.
Make an Inspiration Board This could be a large and detailed board or it can be a simple list of things that make you feel warm and fuzzy. The thing about making goals and visualizing the things that make you happy, is that it gives you something to look forward to when there isn't a lot going on during these months. The term winter blues is sometimes synonymously used with the more serious medical term Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D), but is important to recognize the difference between the two. "S.A.D. can be a sign of clinical depression with the classic symptoms of irritability, disturbed sleep, loss of interest in things you normally would enjoy, etc. With the winter blues, your mood may change due to the lack of light throughout the day, but you do not experience the mentioned symptoms associated with depression," says Deborah R. Simkin, MD - Board Certified Adult, Child, and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Emory School of Medicine. Style Me Pretty Contributor - Erica Chambers is a freelance writer and blogger at Styles by the C. After living in New York City, she has made her permanent residence along the white sandy beaches of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida with her new husband and fur child, Maxwell. When she isn't working, you'll find her exploring local brunch spots or designing a nursery for her and her husband's first child, Leo.
