Winter blahs

I am not made for winter. From the middle of November until the early days in April I am cold… and no amount of layering can keep this girl warm. But even worse than the cold of winter is the darkness.

The cold and the dark make the hours before bedtime feel so long and lonely. Sure, our home is cozy, but I much prefer evenings sipping a glass of wine sitting outside on the front porch.

Living my whole life in Ontario, one would think that by now, I would be able to take this season in stride, but every single year I am surprised again by how isolated and disconnected I feel throughout the winter months. As the days get shorter and the temperature drops, the darkness starts to wear me down and it's not uncommon for me to start feeling the winter blues…

In the dull days of winter, I find myself wanting to stay in more, eat more and definitely wanting to sleep more.

Winter is hard.

So, how do we survive these long nights?

This year, quite by accident I’ve found myself in a rhythm that has me looking forward to the evening’s setting sun. I’ve started lighting candles to give this old country farmhouse a rosy glow.  As we approach the end of the day and dusk falls, I walk through the downstairs, close the curtains, turn on the lamps, {I prefer lamps over the harshness of overhead lights}, and finally, I light candles. I’ve come to treasure this evening ritual, as it helps me intentionally beat those winter blahs.

What do you do, to chase the winter blues away?

 

Blessings