10 Ways to Beat the Winter Blahs (Part II)

So have you tried anything from Part I yet? I'm really having fun experimenting with some of these. Sometimes it doesn't take much to sway one's mood for the better!

In case none of the first five tickled your fancy, voici, starting where I left off, five more ideas to help beat the winter blahs:

6. Switch up your décor.

An oldie, but a goodie. A new pillow, a new piece of art or a new throw can do wonders. Visit your favourite consignment or thrift shop and let yourself be inspired, or explore your cupboards and re-arrange what you already have. Play.

7. Watch something you wouldn't normally watch, or bring back an old favourite.

Catch a new documentary, TV series or an animated film – something you wouldn't normally watch (for inspiration check here or here). On the flip side, go back to your roots with an old favourite. Breakfast Club or Ferris Bueller's Day Off, anyone? Anyone???

8. Go for a walk.

This is so simple, but on some days it can be so haaaaaaard <whine>. Can you tell I speak from experience? The first step is getting out the door, once you're out it gets easier. You don't have to go far, just put your coat on and step outside. The fresh air will do you good, I promise. Bring your camera and engage in a bit of camera play while you're at it, it's more fun that way.

New Year's Day. It was very cold outside, but D. and I gave ourselves a little kick in the ..., bundled up and took a brisk, invigorating walk in the woods. It felt good!

9. Take a photo walk right in your own home.

If the weather's too icky to get out and you're feeling restless, why don't you do a photo walk right in your own home? Put together a photo tour of your favourite spaces or photograph your favourite things. How about trying a colour theme or giving yourself a photography lesson? There are plenty of resources online. You'd be amazed at how many interesting things there are to see and capture right under our noses.

I took over 80 snapshots in one sitting at my dining room table including lots of happy colour, thanks to a bowl of jellybeans.

10. Plan or take a vacation.

If all else fails, there's always escape. Take a getaway to a nearby town or city. Planning a trip later this year? Do some research, find books that will bring you “off the beaten path” or offer you a view of your destination through a specific lens. Last year while planning a trip to Paris, I savoured a gem of a book called Hidden Gardens of Paris: A Guide to the Parks, Squares, and Woodlands of the City of Light. This year we're going to New York and I found a perfect book for us called Discovering Vintage New York: A Guide to the City's Timeless Shops, Bars, Delis & More. How about finding something like that about your own town or city? Sometimes even promise of an escape is enough to get us out of that dreary funk.

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So, shall we recap? Ten ways to help beat the winter blahs:

1. Make one day a week "New Recipe Day."
2. Light it up.
3. Break out the tunes.
4. Try saying YES.
5. Plan something social.
6. Switch up your décor.
7. Watch something you wouldn't normally watch, or bring back an old favourite.
8. Go for a walk.
9. Take a photo walk right in your own home.
10. Plan or take a vacation.

These simple things are helping me navigate this winter's funk a little more gracefully and I hope they may do the same for you if you're in the same boat.

But I would love to hear from you, too.

How do YOU beat the winter blahs? If you're comfortable sharing, please do tell in the comments, below.