5 Ways To Enjoy Winter This February

5 Ways To Enjoy Winter This February

It’s February in Ontario. This week over 30 cm (that’s almost 1 foot) of snow fell. It looks beautiful, like a world made out of marshmallows. I love winter. I know that I am in the minority club here. But winter gives us so many opportunities to be happy. Here are my top 5 ways to cure the winter blues.

Sleep.
It’s cold outside; it’s dark; make the best of it.
Bury yourself under warm duvets in your flannel pj’s and a fluffy pillow and stay in bed a little longer than usual. Or, cuddle up on the couch with a cozy throw and take a nap.

Bake.
Bake your way to happiness. There is nothing more comforting than the smells of home-baked cookies, fresh bread, muffins or scones. On cold Sunday afternoons, why not whip up your family’s favourite or try baking something new. If you haven’t tried to whip up a fresh loaf of bread, it is a lot easier than you would think. Here are a few recipes to try.

Let The Sun In.
On the rare occasion that the sun is shining, open up all the blinds & curtains and let the sunlight fill your space. It’s a breath of fresh air.

Start Something New
Winter is the perfect time to teach yourself something new. I suggest starting a new routine and challenging yourself to stick to it. Here are a few examples to get you started.

• Try practicing yoga every morning.
  There’s no better way to start your day (whatever time that might be) than with a good morning stretch and a little mindfulness.
  
  
• Drink more water.
  Set a goal of how much water you want to drink and do it.
  
  
• Dive into a new hobby.
  Dive into a new hobby and set time aside to do it every day, even if it’s only 10 minutes. There are so many hobbies to choose from; here are a few that I have embraced this winter: Crochet, indoor gardening, and journaling.

Spend more quality time with your family.
I know this might sound crazy after two years of lockdown, but if you’re like me and you have two teenagers in the house. How much quality time are you really spending together (without a cell phone in hand)? Organize a family movie night, or dig out a puzzle from the start of lockdown (we all have them). If not, there’s always Scrabble or Blockus (our family fav.)
If you have younger kids, build a fort or put on a show, let them sell tickets and sit back and enjoy a good chuckle.