Bright Hues to Fight the Winter Blues

It’s January (ok, late January—but still), and I don’t know about you, but I often find myself a little down in January.  The excitement of the holiday season has faded.  The anticipation of a fun holiday and cherished time with family isn’t on the horizon.  All the delicious food and drink that was abundant in December is gone and everyone seems to turn to Whole30 and ‘dry January.’  Winter weather usually rears its ugly head with freezing temps and overcast days.  These things leave me feeling a little depressed, to be honest.  So, when January rolls around, I look for things that brighten my spirits.  I want to share this today, as I imagine others might fight the winter blues too.  So, below are ten things that help get me through dismal winter days.

It probably comes as no surprise — but bright colors really cheer me up.  If you have followed me a while, you know that bright colors are my jam.  I joke about it often, especially how much I love pink.  But the reason I love vibrant colors is because they brighten my mood.

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When the dreary weather has me feeling blue – I look for bright hues to lighten the mood.  Sometimes it’s a pop of color, and sometimes it’s a lot of color. #ihavethisthingwithpink

As cliché as it may sound, exercise really helps.  Those endorphins after a sweat sesh really help lift the spirits.

Fresh flowers from the grocery store (inexpensive, but add beauty to the room)

A walk on a sunny day (even if it is a bit chilly, soaking up Vitamin D is good for the soul)

A new outfit, perfume or pair of shoes (Ummm.  Well, I am a fashion lover.) 😉

A good night’s sleep also makes me feel recharged and more optimistic in the morning.

Cooking a new dish.  It’s fun to try new recipes.

Kate Spade Live Colorfully Perfume | Pink statement earrings

Cleaning/Organizing — I find joy in getting a closet organized, a pantry cleaned out, or even just a junk drawer decluttered.  Maybe it’s just me – but have you tried it?? It gives me an accomplished feeling, which gives me renewed energy.

Changing the décor – changing up the living room or bedroom décor or making a new table-scape lifts my mood.  Or even looking for ideas to decorate for spring gives me a goal and purpose to focus on.

Lastly, I have found some herbs and over the counter remedies that also help when I am feeling down.  The two I have found helpful in fighting the winter blues are L-theanine and 5-HTP Plus.  5HTP Plus is a mood booster that contains 200 mg of serotonin.  It’s formulated by a doctor and also contains SAMe and L Tryptophan to work synergistically to improve mood, decrease anxiety and aid with sleep support.  It’s all natural and made with vitamins, minerals and herbal extracts.  L-theanine is an amino acid commonly found in tea leaves.  L-theanine is made with Suntheanine, which is clinically proven to promote an alert state of relaxation without drowsiness.  It helps with mental focus and reduces generalized anxiety. I purchase these from Amazon and included the links to both products above.

The key is to find what brings you joy (in a healthy way) and do more of that.  If it’s wearing more color, or cooking your favorite dish, or making it to the gym for some ‘me time’.  The older I get, the more I realize that happiness is a choice and finding joy in the little things in life is important to help us get through the mundane. Being present in the moment to fully appreciate the joy in front of you is vital to experiencing the joy also.  This is an area I am currently working on.  I hope this has been helpful to you.   If you feel down in January, what helps you to fight the winter blues?

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(I am not a physician or medical professional, of course.  If you have serious depression, please seek the help of a medical professional.)

Cute t-shirt was gifted from TexLynnGrace Boutique, all styles and love of bright colors are my own.  😉

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