6 Ways to Beat the Winter Chill

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It is painfully, perpetually freezing here in New England. In fact, it's a whopping 6 degrees outside as I type (six!). I have never been one for the cold, and the past few weeks of nonstop snow have reaffirmed my dread of wintertime. Since it's going to be cold for months to come, I'm brainstorming up ways to stay warm and sane until we start to thaw out. Here's 6 ways I'll be beating the winter chill...

1. Hot Tea - A steamy mug of tea (or coffee, hot chocolate, chai, insert your favorite boiling brew here) is the perfect way to combat that cold to the bone feeling.

2. Hot Yoga - My local studio offers hot yoga classes where the room is heated to a toasty, but not overwhelming, 95 degrees. Wearing shorts and sweating like mad will make your body forget it's been shivering for days on end.

3. Spicy Feasts - Cooking up some spicy fare is another great way to raise your internal fire. Make it simple by adding some spicy salsa to beans, rice, and sauteed veggies or go all out and whip up a spicy Indian curry or three alarm Thai dish.

4. Drier Power - Nothing beats PJs fresh from the drier. Pop 'em in with a pair of socks for a few minutes on high heat and savor the warmth as you immediately slip them on and make a mad dash for the covers.

5. Light Candles - They may not give off heat like a fireplace, but for those of us without working fireplaces candles can create a similar cozy, warming effect - even if it's more psychological than it is physical. Light a few clusters of candles, maybe some with warming scents like vanilla or cinnamon. All that flattering natural light may even put you in the mood for some other warming activities...

6. Embrace the Cold - Ok, it seems counter intuitive that embracing the cold would be a good way to stay warm, but go ahead, bundle up, and head into the chill. Move, feel the wind on your face, the sensation of the cold air hitting your throat, even that weird feeling you get when you know your boogers have all frozen (oh, I went there). Accept that winter is here, and it's hardly over yet. Then, when you've gotten a full dose of mother nature's wrath, get back inside and repeat methods 1 through 5. Trust me, they'll be all the more effective now that you're properly chilled out.

In a Funk

Photo found here.

I had the best intentions of finishing a post this evening about easy ways to integrate healthy habits into your life for optimal post-holiday health... and somewhere along the way I wound up in a no-good-very-bad mood instead. I don't know what set-off my pathetic evening slump, but it involved moping on the sofa, eating handfuls of high-fructose-laden store brand sugar cookies of the most evil variety, watching reruns of The Office I have seen at least twice before. Embarrassing? Incredibly. While I enjoy writing about health, am generally optimistic, and hate the thought of wasting a perfectly good evening to be an unhappy hermit (I was going to make soup!), none of us are immune to a sudden pang of frustration, self-pity, or hormones that leave us in a wilted heap for the remainder of the day.

So here's my question to you: How do you snap yourself out of a funk?

Do you have a good long sleep, or do you stay up all night watching scary movies? Do you hit the gym, or maybe take a day off instead? Read a trashy magazine, or dive into a literary classic? Ask for a hug, or need some time alone? Spend some time outdoors, or relish in the hours inside? Need to feel comfortable and relaxed, or seek to feel excitement and adrenaline?

Whatever helps you dislodge yourself from the melodramatic depths of despair, jump to it as soon as you can to prevent a bad day from snowballing into a bad week. As for me, tomorrow promises to be a busy day, and nothing helps me get out of a bad mood better than getting things done. With each task I cross off a to-do list, I sense my self-purpose and motivation multiply. But until you're ready to take some steps towards feeling positive again, don't stress about those bad days that come around every once and a while. It happens to us all.

2010

Photo via Pistol Pete

Welcome to 2010! With any luck you are through nursing the post-celebratory hangover and have already written the date incorrectly once or twice. If you didn't have time to reflect on the past year before the ball dropped, not to worry. This weekend is just as good a time to do a quick recap of what made the last year great (or what made you happy to bid it adieu) and dream up what you like to do more of in the months to come.

Here is what I have decided I need more of in 2010...

Writing
Smoothies
Walks
Patience
Spontaneity
Homemade Meals
Scrabble
Swimming
Dark Chocolate :)

And what I need less of...

Checking Email
Television
Comparisons
Clutter
Misunderstandings

Winter Solstice

Photo found here

If the dark days have been getting you down, rejoice! Today is the Winter Solstice, which in layman's terms is the shortest day of the year. Now while that may not sound like means for celebration, the result is that every day from now until the Summer Solstice will be longer and longer (Wondering when the Summer Solstice is? It's typically on June 21st - 6 months from the Winter variety). More scientifically speaking, the Solstice is the day that the earth's axis is tilted at it's most extreme degree either towards or away from the Sun. In today's case, we in the northern hemisphere are leanin' back like Fat Joe (if you don't get the rap reference, we're leaning back a lot) while our friends south of the equator are leaning in for a kiss of sunshine.

The Winter Solstice has been celebrated in countless ways by cultures around the world for well over a thousand years. Many interpretations of Sun Deities are honored at this time - such as the the Incan sun god Inti, or the sun-goddess Beiwe who was believed by the Saami (the indigenous people of current-day Finland, Sweden, and Norway) to travel across the sky through a structure of reindeer bones. Many cultures and faiths have viewed the Winter Solstice as a time of rebirth or renewal - including various Neopagan and Christian sects which celebrate the rebirth/birth of prominent figures of their faith during this symbolic time of year. Whichever tradition you choose to carry-out this season, it's likely rooted in the current angle of our round, spinning home.

If the change in weather and the stress of the holidays has you down, why not celebrate your own renewal of spirit today? Do something that helps you feel rejuvenated - be it heading to the gym to sweat out toxins, drinking a big green juice to revitalize your body, or booking a massage to rub yourself anew. Honor yourself by being mindful of your needs as you prepare for the winter ahead. Don't forget to be patient with yourself; the short days and long nights may affect us biologically, mentally, physically, and emotionally. And even at the most challenging of times, remember; it'll only get brighter from here.

Been Up To...

Photo found here

I don't know whether to attribute it to the busyness of the holiday season, the darkness and coldness that's come over the northeast, being preoccupied with personal changes and challenges, or just feeling like sleep is a better option, but I haven't been in the mood to write lately. I have, however, been...

Trying to fix my broken ipod
Trying to revitalize my mom's old Creative Zen (fixing the ipod didn't pan out)
Doing other people's Christmas shopping (if you finish early, why not?)
Learning to bake (correction, burning things at my baking class - it's not for me)
Swimming myself sore
Moving to a new office
Reading and crafting by the tree
Collecting recipes of yummy things I can't possibly burn
Eating the most delicious raw coconut cream pie; I'm still dreaming about it

What have you been up to?