Lethargy. Disorientation. Irritability. Alternating desire for more snow and less snow. If you are displaying these symptoms you may be suffering from Pseudo-Winter Blues, a condition reported throughout New England by people acclimated to a slightly more, ahem, consistent winter than we’ve experienced. According to Web M.D., these temperature fluctuations do more than give us something to complain about: they put undue stress on our bodies regulatory systems. This can seriously kill energy and dampen our positivity if we allow it to.
Better get used to it: with climatic change underway it is safe to say that we will see more, not less, of these fluctuations over the next few years. According to the Committee on Natural Resources New England has steadily lost 9 snow days a year since 1965. Here are five simple tips to help you beat the pseudo-winter blues…
1. Get outside: At the risk of sounding cliche, exercise really does boost your mood, especially if you manage to catch some rays while you’re at it. So go ahead, take the dog for a walk, spin around in circles, whatever floats your boat, for at least 20 minutes. Fresh air does the body and mind good.
2. Give your liver a break. Most people can handle up to 5 drinks in one sitting without triggering significant levels of depressive hormones. Any more than that and you’re out of luck. Add to that all the other well-documented health issues associated with imbibing regularly and it’s a no brainer.
3. Grin and bear it. Psychologists say that smiling even if you don’t feel like it sends happy endorphins to your brain. This in turn can help you to see things in a more positive light. As an added bonus, we tend to mirror the emotions of those around us, so you can feel good about brightening somebody elses day.
4. Do something productive. Maybe now is a good time to start planning your kitchen garden or reorganizing the closet. There’s nothing like crossing a huge item off your to-do list to lift the spirits.
5. Drink plenty of filtered water (at least 8 glasses a day). Water is the defining resource of life and greases the wheels of most our bodies inner processes. New research has also shown that not getting enough water is a contributing factor to chronic muscle pain and stiffness. Years of psychological research has revealed that the everyday aches we live with contribute more to unhappiness than acute pain (like a broken leg).
And finally, hold tight: spring is right around the corner 