how to beat the winter blues

What happened to the endless summer weather than stretched right until the end of autumn?  It got cold, wet and windy all of a sudden!  Winter weather can leave you feeling down.  I’ve put together some tips on how to make yourself happy again.  Note that the winter blues is different to depression, which I have written about here.
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•          Go for a run!  Don’t let the cold and darkness be an excuse.  I went for 5k run this morning at 6.30 am.  It was invigorating and refreshing, leaving me in a good mood all day
•          Go swimming at a heated pool – it’s free in certain suburbs of Auckland.  You’ll be indoors so there’s no excuse!
•          Listen to some music.  Try downloading some new tunes on Spotify.  Not sure what to listen to?  Do what I do and scope out friends’ playlists to find out what’s popular now
•          Try something new.  Recently, I tried Les Mills on demand, which gives you access to a huge range of Les Mills classes for you to do at home at your own convenience
•          Re-work your list of annual goals.  I try and go over mine half way through the year as things change.  It pays to set some new challenges when old ones become redundant
•          Get outdoors – go for a walk or spend some time in the garden. You’ll feel so much better after getting some fresh air
•          Organise, plan, prepare – sometimes it isn’t possible to be outside when the weather is particularly wild so use the time constructively.  On days like this, I’ve been spending time browsing through seed catalogues and drafting orders seed orders, as well as working on my blog
•          Visit your local library
•          Read a good book
•          Catch up with an old friend over a coffee
•          Try a new restaurant. I finally went to Mexico and loved it!
•          Make a new recipe, so you avoid being stuck in a food rut of eating the same things all the time
•          Treat yourself.  I recently purchased a new Clinique mascara as I accumulated enough loyalty points at my pharmacy for a rewards voucher, plus they were having a 15% off beauty and fragrance sale, making it a steal for $30.   Using it makes me feel a bit special
•          Watch a comedy on Netflix -  I re-watched Bridget Jones I and II last weekend and just couldn’t stop laughing
•          Make a pot of homemade soup – lately we’ve been having a lot of pumpkin soup with the pumpkins we harvested from our summer garden
•          Have a bath.  I got some bubble bath from the Body Shop for 50% off in their winter sale and it smells delicious!
•          Get a massage – relaxation or therapeutic, it’s up to you!
•          Take a course – sometimes these are run through secondary schools or community colleges.  You could learn a new skill or develop an existing one
•          Learn a craft, such as knitting, cross-stitch or patchwork.  You could knit yourself a snug scarf to wear or make a quilt to keep cosy and warm during winter
•          Exercise the mind.  Do a cross-word puzzle or Sudoku to stimulate your brain
•          Wear bright colours.  All too often we reach for black in winter.  My favourite winter jumper is a shocking bright pink one from France​