8 Steps to Help with Winter & Pandemic Blues
2 min readDec 20, 2020
- You must mentally prepare for this to last longer than we all initially anticipated. Have a long-term plan not just to survive but thrive.
- Take small steps each morning to reframe your outlook. Start your day with music that turns you on, with intentions or meditation, a quick workout. Find what works for you and do lots of it.
- Take frequent breaks from technology. If social media/video calls are your only social outlet, they may also be a consistent source of anxiety. Take time throughout your day/week to unplug.
- Find a way to move even when you don’t feel like it. Dance, try yoga, a slow walk. Get off your couch and move your ass. I promise, once those endorphins kick in, you will begin to feel better.
- Soak in some sun rays. Go outside when you can to catch a little vitamin D, even on a cloudy day will do. Or, try a light therapy lamp. This will help your body to generate serotonin which combats depression and stabilizes anxiety.
- Hugs. 4 hugs a day to survive. 8 hugs a day to maintain, and 12 hugs a day for growth. GUESS WHAT? You can give these precious hugs to yourself. You can call a loved one and ask them to describe the hug they would like to give to you, or you can describe the hug you would like to give to someone. Our amazing brain releases stress-relieving chemicals (dopamine and serotonin), into your system that can improve your mood and relieve symptoms of depression.
- Give yourself permission to feel emotional. Suppressing, girdling, medicating and ignoring our feelings sadly has become more acceptable than acknowledging and expressing them. Consider that there are no good, bad, light or dark emotions, only emotions that need to be acknowledged and fully expressed. Emotions are simply part of processing what you’re going through. If you’re having an off day, cut yourself some slack and try some of the steps above to reframe your mindset and hopefully change the course of the day or the week.
- Stop comparing your experience to anyone else’s. Every time you compare, someone gets the short end of the stick — either you judge the other person or you judge yourself. Your emotional journey is wholly valid, and so is theirs.
