Beating the Winter Blues

In the dim background of our mind, we know what we ought to be doing but somehow we cannot start. 

~William James

I am firmly in the midst of the winter blues.  Tired of being indoors but, oh my, it is cold outside..and snowy..and windy...and did I mention cold?   I've had a few too many days of having to use a hatchet to 'chop' chunks of ice for the chickens to have water...only to have my work gloves freeze to the watering can. 

It is the kind of cold that makes my body ache and makes all tasks slow down.  I look around and see lots of things that need done but motivation escapes me.  It is just so frustrating.  So whether you call it the Winter blues, or Seasonal Affective Disorder or Cabin Fever, the effect makes it seem that February will go on and on and on....

Of course, it won't and March is just around the corner and soon it will be time to tap the maple trees and look for the first brave snowdrop or crocus to break the cover of the snow but the past couple of weeks have been difficult.  

Very soon, we will be able to open the windows for that freshness that we crave in our home and start Spring cleaning but I realize that, right now, I need something to look forward to.  

I started a Crochet A Long (CAL) and a Knit A Long (KAL) with Yarnspirations and those weekly clues are giving me something to look forward to plus I'm learning some new skills along the way.  I finally learned to knit a cable pattern!  I made sure to choose bright, sunny colors to work with and it is helping to lift my spirits.  

This is a perfect time to re-evaluate your routines and responsibilities too.  When Spring comes, there will be little time for things other than work, gardening and caring for the family and the animals so how can I change up my routines a bit?  

I opened my email today and saw that I had over 2500 unread messages.  I am way past due with weeding out those notifications and newsletters that I rarely find time to read anyway.  Pare down that list to a manageable level to get ready for the demands on your time in the coming season.  

I also realized that I belong to 108 Facebook groups!  Time to cut that list down too. I do enjoy many of those groups but I was able to cut it down by half.  I'll set an appointment for myself to re-evaluate next week too to see if I can cut it down even more.  The goal is to belong to a group to PARTICIPATE not just read everyone else's posts. 

Here are two things to break through these Winter blues: 

• Start a project you look forward to working on and learn a new skill too.
• Evaluate your electronic communications.  Can you cut down on the number of emails you receive a day or the number of Facebook notifications?  

I hope you will share in the comments some of your tips for getting through these next few weeks of winter.  I look forward to having your help. Let's all inspire and support each other! 

Thanks for stopping by to visit today.  I am so glad to be back! :) 

Peace be with you, 

Star Schipp 

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