Selah Saturday: Beating the Winter Blues

Have you ever been struck by the Winter Blues? This year for the first time in quite a few years, I seem to have fallen victim to them. The hubbub of the holidays is long behind me, and here in New England the days are quite short - the sun rises late and sets early. The grip of minus temperatures has settled in.

Always a fighter, I didn't want the Blues to win. Here's what I figured out to do:

• Be active. It's way to easy to come home from work, grab a little dinner and park myself on the couch and watch TV till bedtime. So I force myself to do something - sometimes it's working a puzzle or cleaning out some area of my life (clothes I haven't worn, files, writing notes or research, books, or dishes - how many casserole dishes or soup pots does a person need??). Sometimes it's performing a couple of chores that I normally do on my days off. The satisfaction of getting things done goes a long way to making me feel less "blue."
• Laugh. It's true - laughter is the best medicine. Read the "funny papers" as my granddad used to call the newspaper comics. Or read an uplifting fun book - Patsy Clairmont has several great ones out. Watch a romantic comedy instead of that suspense or action flick. Recently I dragged out "Romancing the Stone."
• Use other people to help. I tend to want to solve my own problems, but frankly sometimes you've got to call in the Cavalry. Pick up the phone and call a friend. Let them know you're struggling and they'll take it from there. Even better is getting together.
• Expect good things. I find that it can be easy to get sucked into the negativity around me - complainers at work or church, the awful stories on the news, etc. Whenever possible I walk away from the complainers and make it a point not to watch the news. At the beginning and end of each day I count my blessings.
• Sing. Yep, you read correctly. I sing. I put in a CD or stream some music on my computer and sing a long. I may not be the next Taylor Swift, but singing lifts my spirits quickly. Try it!

I love winter, but sometimes I need a pick-me-up. If you do too, I hope you find this information helpful.