The Offbeat Counselor: Winter Charge up

The cold is killing me...

Literally...after being spoiled with some 50 degree days I am ready for spring. The long nights and lack of sunshine is really good at killing my vibes. While I love many winter activities, it still can be difficult for me to muster up energy for the day.

I have lived in the Northeast my whole life however over the last few years I have noticed significant shifts in my energy and behavior during the winter months. Not only do I lack my normal amounts of energy, but I become sad more often letting depression and anxiety take over my thoughts. I become sluggish and for certain periods of time dysthymic. If you can relate...this my friends it what I love to call seasonal affect.

Too many days I have laid in bed praying for sun...eventually I got tired of this tactic (although I am still ready for sunshine) and moved on to something else.

Instead of waiting for the sunshine to provide me with energy I started to charge up my energy on my own.

First I started small. Just get dressed, I would tell myself. Instead of throwing on sweatpants I would put on jeans, or if I was going out (even to the grocery store) I would dress a little nicer and even put on some makeup. By making myself look better I started to feel better on the inside.

I created a workout routine. Before I would workout sporadically when I had time, but now decided to pick 3 times a week and committed myself. In the winter time there are not many outdoor activities to partake in. Even taking a walk sound daunting. Working out at the gym forced me to get out of my house and increased my social interaction. I was able to socialize outside my normal social circle.

I surrounded myself with positive supports. The last thing I want to do in the dead of winter is be stuck in side with a bunch of negative people. I made decisions to not spend as much time with people who may drain me of my positive energy and instead made efforts to be around the people in my life who lift me up.

I made sure to keep my chakras aligned. I made appointments to get energy work done on a monthly basis. This not only decreased some somatic symptoms I was having, but I always left feeling uplifted and happy. I made sure to sage my personal space in my home and bring in grounding crystals.

Lastly, SLEEP!! I started to kick myself out of bed and not lay in it all day. I made sure I was consistently getting the correct amount of sleep...not to much but also not enough.