As we move back into another winter here in New England, I am trying to be proactive to ward off those winter blues that can quietly settle in in the corners of your mind and weigh everything down. Mentally I try to prepare every fall, but this fall I am moving more from prep to action. So, what am I doing?
1. Exercise! Tried and true method for calm within the insanity (never more true for me than in 2017, the year that just keeps...being 2017). I always go in with the best intentions, but this year I have been pushing myself through the end of summer and into fall to get outside three times a week. I have been running and am gaining speed and strength which is huge for me. My lungs usually fail me and my brain can always needle away at me until I just give up and walk, but not so lately. Must be a combination of good motivating friends and family, and internal terror at how anxious/grouchy/lazy I easily become when I stop moving my body for any length of time. Luckily for me one of my best friends lives 2 blocks away from me and she is always game for pre work classes (5:15 spin before clinic anyone?), and runs at the exact same pace as me so our workouts double as catch up time where we can vent and encourage each other, which is also one of those essential mental health balance things.
2. Vitamin D! JP and I always start vitamin D supplements in the fall to help compensate for the abysmal lack of sunshine here in New England. Lack of sun is a huge factor for my southern born husband, even more than the bitter cold temperatures and that's saying something! This year we are stepping up our game in this department as well and have finally invested in a Light Box to get our light therapy on. I used a similar light when I lived in Minneapolis with roommates, and have been meaning to get one almost every year we've been here but somehow it always slipped to the bottom of my priorities and I never actually bought one. Never fear, we've had our new light set up for about a week now, and have both been using it for about 30 minutes first thing in the morning to help keep our circadian rhythms on pace throughout the winter. Hopefully it helps!
3. Gratitude! I have been diligently working on writing down three things that I am grateful for from the day and why these things make me feel grateful. There is some evidence to show that this simple act can help reframe your outlook to keep you happier. I know it certainly won't hurt, and since I have been focusing on journaling again, it is a great way to jump start the writing process. Reflection on my day to day life, and taking time to appreciate the pieces has already been helpful for me. I can easily slide into frustration over small things at work, or anger about everything happening in the world today, but a small tilt in perspective helps me to try to stay positive and moving forward doing what I can to affect change.
4. Crafts! I haven't been very craft minded for quite some time. Stuck in the slog of work and changing jobs and even just trying to remember to eat something for every meal has really just taken my focus away from nurturing my creativity lately. I know making things stimulates my brain in a very different way than practicing medicine does, and so I have been pushing myself to get back to that before the snow drops. First step has been knitting, a good place to start because it gives me something to do with my hands while listening to podcasts or watching a movie. Some day soon I will set to work on some Christmas presents, and decoration for our home.
So, that's it. You may have guessed that blogging is helpful to me too, and something that is so easy to have drop off the list of priorities. But, you know, you can only start by starting.
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