4 Tips For Beating The Winter Blues
It’s easy to wish that the season of gloom and doom will pass. But, then it seems to drag on with more frost, snow, or dark days. If you’ve been feeling like winter should be over—but it keeps coming, don’t despair.
Staying Active
Use this time to stay busy, active, and energetic. Whether you’re living on your own, in a senior facility, or part of a family, it’s important to stay active at every age. Health experts say that exercise is the top recommendation to beat the winter blues. While you may not feel like running a marathon (yet), you can use this time to get in shape.
Staying active means different things for different people. If you’ve been a couch potato in recent months, use discretion and start slowly. Talk with your doctor or medical professional to get some simple tips for being active.
Many health experts suggest starting with moderate exercise such as walking. If you’re just beginning, walk to the end of the block. Then, add a little more each day. By taking this gradually, you’ll easily get stronger, more flexible, and able to go a little further each day.
The general recommendation is to aim for 150 minutes per week of moderate activity. If this seems insane, start where you are. If, on the other hand, it seems too low, start adding minutes to what you already enjoy. Either way, you’ll stay active and beat the winter gloom.
Staying Entertained
Perhaps after all that movement, you’re thinking about some entertainment. If you want fun and games, head to the television. There are hundreds of films, shows, and short documentaries to help you enjoy the world from the comfort of your living room.
If you or a loved one are in a senior facility, check out the options for retirement home TV plans. This is a way to upgrade a television to be an all-in-one infotainment platform. New technology now makes it possible to use the television for watching shows, using the internet, and connecting with voice services.
The best part about senior TV is that it integrates all the functions seamlessly. Instead of setting up and managing each system separately, seniors can easily access all the functions from a single device.
For senior facilities, the senior TV offers many ways to bring entertainment, news, and updates to residents. Depending on your community size and care, you may find that senior TV is a key to increasing resident engagement and improving the quality of life.
Staying Flexible
When it’s cold outside, it’s easy to give in to the urge to not move, not stretch, and not develop flexibility. But, winter is a great time to do the opposite and prepare for spring. As much as we may resist starting, it’s a lot easier to start with the help of an expert.
Use your interest to guide you as you explore dance, yoga, pilates, stretching, and exercising. Check out online programs, virtual clubs, classes, and workshops. If you are living in a community, contact the events coordinator. Perhaps other residents are also looking for classes to stay flexible and agile.
Staying Creative
With freezing temperatures, don’t let your creative juices freeze up too. Although you may feel house-bound with freezing temperatures, your creativity can go fully wild in the winter. Experiment with different ways to ignite your creativity.
Start your exploration with a few simple tips, such as creating a little something new each day. It doesn’t have to be a big art piece to spark your creativity. Make a line drawing. Prepare a meal in a new way. Wear a different outfit. Use your imagination to create fresh inspiration each day.
Play with fabric and experiment with color, texture. Use your design sense to decorate the inside of your house with fresh fabrics. Play with different materials such as a scarf to brighten up your clothes. Use fabric to create a calm interior that makes you smile.
Get creative with your time. Try getting up at dawn. Select different activities for the morning, afternoon, and evening. Experiment with taking a walk in the moonlight, or strapping on your skates. You’re in charge of your day, so make the most of it.
Still feeling gloomy about winter? Not a chance. These activities will keep you busy, healthy, entertained, flexible, and creative. You might even find that you start to feel happier about the season, as it’s giving you time to expand your horizons.