As I am writing this the sun is shining, the skies are blue, and the weather app announces a max of 20ºC for today. Life is pretty good for a 1st of November (if you try really hard not to think about the fact that it’s probably so warm because of global warming, and what kind of world are we gonna leave to our children, and it’s not really sustainable to have children anymore, and I didn’t even recycle that piece of cardboard today and dfgd@sdfs#f…) However, the time just changed, the days are going to get shorter and darker, and soon every morning we will wake up to grey skies and annoying, intermittent rain.
Last year the “winter” (meaning the season from November to April) really took a toll on me. I had vitamin D deficiency, my energy levels were non-existent, and my mood hit an all time low towards the end of January. This all time low led me to a really painful back spasm, several calls on the verge of tears to my boyfriend from the office, and ultimately to quitting my job. Obviously there were more factors that played into that last one, but once the sun shined again, and my mental fog had dissipated, I did regret that decision.
I have been lucky to spend a beautiful summer surrounded by friends and family, enjoying the beaches of Spain, the lakes of Germany and the sunny skies of both. So while I feel like my battery has been recharged, I am quite scared of the winter, and of the power this season has over my mood.
I am trying to identify the things I did wrong last year (an escape to Sweden during February may not have been my brightest idea) and come up with a game plan to at least make me feel like I am ready to face the season ahead.
So here’s a list of things to keep me mentally stable during the colder months:
- Take my vitamin D supplements (should have done it already last year. this is all my fault)
- Book a sunny Holiday in February. As expensive as it might be flying away to the Caribbean, I have to prioritize my mental health
- Have my mum visit us in Munich
- Make an effort to do things after work: Gym, dinner with friends, board game nights… The day IS NOT over at 4pm
- Work out more. This will be hard, because on bad days is the LAST thing I want… but let’s see if those endorphins help a girl out
- Maybe ski? I know this is the thing that people in Munich love about winter. I am not confident at all in my coordination, but I guess I could try it….
I know it might be too early to talk about this, but I am SCARED. Are you a winter lover? If so, what are the things that make you love the season? And if not, what are the things that make you tolerate the season? Any help would be appreciated ❤
Oooh I can definitely relate, and had to laugh at your first paragraph talking about climate change because I feel exactly how you do! As much as I love the idea of winter, the reality of the freezing weather and darkness really gets to me. To the point where I have a hard time enjoying fall, because I know the bitter cold is just around the corner… That said, I really enjoyed this post – you gave me some ideas of what I too can be doing to make the winter months less intimidating, and I’m working on my own list of goals for winter. Sending you love!
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oooo I love winter SO much! I feel what you said during summer; the heat makes me super lethargic and I can’t move for my life (which is not the best thing since I’m from Portugal ahah). But in winter I come back alive, it’s such a cozy time – blankets, books, cinema, layers and layers of clothes, the snow. God, how I miss the snow. Cold weather also really helps with anxiety cause it keeps my mind on my body and not on my mind.
I lived in Tallinn for a year and I must confess I was crazy about it. I had a teacher there who told us to have our vitamins every day, cuddle a lot with our friends, keep warm and escape to the forest cabins every other weekend – it works ehe be gentle with yourself and try to find comfort and beauty in small things. Go ice skating, sledding, drink hot wine and hot chocolate, lots of soups, game nights, movie nights, homemade breakfasts, go to sauna. Make your house a nest – lots of fairy lights, nice candles, open the windows and let the air flow from time to time, cook some jam to fill the house with the sweet smell of it.
And of course, do escape somewhere when you miss the sun too much – we went for a weekend in Maastricht, when the constant clouds were taking its toll, and it was heaven. stay cozy xx
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You almost got me excited about winter ❤ Thank you so much for your comment, I will come back to it when the cold and the darkness feels a bit too much and I need to pick myself up.
Sending you lots of love xxx
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I second everything Zo said! I’m certainly more of a winter person than a summer person, so it’s always been easier for me to enjoy winter versus summer. There are some great books about the concept of hygge that I think encapsulates how to make winter more enjoyable if you’re a non-winter lover.
I don’t ski but I snowboard and I have to say with 100% certainty that this helps check the boxes for me when it comes to enjoying cold weather. Physical activity, beautiful views, great time alone or with friends, and nothing beats having a warm soup and spiked drink afterward.
Now, if only you could help me enjoy summer better! 😉
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i don’t live in a country with seasons but i love fall & winter! i’m the most happy when i visit other countries during their fall-winter season and i get so frustrated when it’s during summer. i HATE the heat for so many reasons haha
speaking of vitamin D, i’ve had several shocking uh incidents where i thought i was going to have awful diagnosis like tumor and stuff (yes, freaked me out too) it was when i felt several bumps on my neck where they’re not painful at all. i was freaking out about it. the GP told me to get some blood tests and diseases like toxoplasmosis and tuberculosis came back negative, however, my white blood cell count was above the average. thing is, i didn’t feel anything other than those bumps. the blood test showed vit D deficiency as well so my GP thought that it’s just some viral infection because i lack of vit D. he prescribed me with vit D3 and about 2 weeks later the bumps began to flatten themselves. so yeah, that happened to me twice and twice i freaked out so now i always have vit D3 in my supplement cabinet XD
(and yeah, i hate the sun so i can’t stand the sun or stay under the sun too long since it will also trigger my eczema flare-ups hence the deficiency)
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