I heard on the radio that this past Monday was “the most depressing day of the year,” due to the typical weather we experience and the distance from Christmas. It even has a name – Blue Monday. We’ve had some really dreary days here in South Carolina, a place that has the nicest winters I’ve ever experienced. I can imagine how easy it would be to become affected by long periods of cold, gray days, so today I’m bringing you a few tips for surviving the dreary days of winter!
#1 Change up your lighting!
- Open all the blinds and curtains first thing in the morning to allow as much natural light in your home as possible.
- Use twinkle lights (or even white Christmas lights) to create a warm glow.
- Turn on lamps to brighten dark corners of your home.
- Burn candles during the day, not just at night.
#2 Make yummy food!
- Have a picnic lunch in the living room – in front of the fireplace if you have one!
- Serve your favorite summer dessert, head to your favorite ice cream place for a treat, or make snow ice cream!
- Find some new recipes to bring variety to your weekly menu planning.
- Have a freezer cooking session!
#3 Brighten the mood in your home!
- Turn off the TV and instead, play some fun music while you prepare supper.
- Find a new podcast that you can enjoy.
- Pick up some fresh flowers at the grocery store.
- Choose an area of your home that needs de-cluttering or organization.
- Decorate for Valentines Day!
- Serve someone else – make a get well package for a friend.
- Find ways to enjoy the indoors with your kids – here are 10 to get you started!
- Have an at-home date night with your man!
How are you planning to survive the dreary days of winter?
Come Home For Comfort 
The dreary winter days are the worst! It’s been that way here in Nebraska, too. I’m constantly dreaming of spring at this time of year. Sometimes, I’ll decorate for spring early. 🙂 Watching episodes of shows that are filmed in warm spots (Hawaii Five-O) is sort of like a mini-vacation. And I’ll even burn candles and wear fragrances that are yummy fruity/fresh scents. Brightening up my wardrobe with bright pieces also helps put me in a good mood. I love your twinkling lights! That’s a simple way to create a warmer atmosphere.
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These are all fantastic tips, Whitney! Great post! xo – Brenda // ChattingOverChocolate.com
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Thanks! Hope you’re enjoying good weather today!
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Weather permitting I try and get out of the house often. With Connor, it’s a lot to be stuck at home but we do have a home only day, which is usually Thursdays. But I love these suggestions and because it’s always gray this time of year here I’ll be putting them to use.
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Oh yes, I remember well those gray Midwest winters!!
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This is such a great post with so many wonderful ideas!!!! I think the key is light. Also going through major decluttering and organizing right now!
Tif
http://www.brightonabudget.com
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I definitely agree that lighting makes a huge difference!
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I love every bit of this post! Winter time tends to drag on and on for me. I’m going to have to pick up some of the white lights you have around your house. They seem so peaceful and calming. Any kind of light is always good for me.
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Even though it’s not cold here, we’ve had a lot of dreary, gray days. It does make a difference when the weather is gloomy! Hope you are able to find some of those twinkle lights!
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Great tips!! I need to improve our lighting. We recently had a couple of lamps kick the bucket and I haven’t replaced them… yet! Time to hunt for some new ones. I would also like to decorate for Valentine’s Day soon and it’s always a goal of mine to make yummy food. I have a few new recipes in the works to try this month. Love your tip for twinkly lights and i have yet to get into podcasts. I should really figure out how they work and jump on board that train 🙂
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It seems like lamps have the domino effect when they die – I had three lamps die in less than a month, all from my living room! Someone gave us a Walmart gift card, so I used that to replace the lamps. It makes such a difference in a room!
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Decluttering always makes me feel better! Love this post! Thanks for sharing mine!
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I did some Valentine decorating yesterday thanks to the Dollar Tree!!
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This might sound silly, but I have to be careful of the internet vortex during the winter, lol. It’s so easy to just mindlessly watch Netflix for hours at night which makes me tired the next morning. But also, because I can experience some winter blues, I need to be mindful of not going to my computer for the goal of “filling me up.” I can’t expect Instagram or blogging to be my mood booster. I need to start my day with God, reach out to friends, get a project started, etc. Does that make sense? I also do a lot of the tips you suggested above. I LOVE picking up a beautiful $3.99 bouquet of flowers from Aldi to cheer up my dining room! Great post 🙂
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The winter has always been so hard for me. Days without sunshine and being cooped up in the house with the kids can really put me in a funk. I have found that even just getting out (to go to Target 😉 ) can cheer us all up.
Thanks for the tips and for including my link :).
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