Archive for January, 2012
How To Brighten A Gloomy Winter’s Day Part 7
Exercise is so very important for our well being, physically, mentally, and emotionally. It is so important to do some form of exercise at least three times a week. Maybe a gym membership would benefit you. There are machines for weight training and cardio work, like treadmills, bikes, and elliptical machines. It is a great way to meet new friends too.
The best part of exercise, for me, is how I feel afterwards, when the endorphins, those “feel-good” chemicals, are released to make us feel wonderful.I t can feel a bit intimidating to some. But, just remember, everyone is there for a common goal, to look and feel better, and they all were new at some time. When I take a class that has floor work, I take one of my hammock pads and fold it three times for a great mat!
As we are exploring many ways to beat the winter blues, as we call the slightly sad we feeling that some of get in the winter, when the days are shorter and it is cold outside, and sometimes cloudy. This is not be confused with a clinical depression, of course, which may require medication. One of my favorite things to do anytime of year is to read. This is an enjoyable way to pass a gloomy day.
I do recommend though, if you are reading to lift your spirits, don’t read a book that makes you cry! Find a book that is uplifting, or even funny. Winter is a great time to catch up on the piles of magazines that lay around unread. I like to put my subscriptions in a binder that holds a whole year of issues. Then I can read them when I find time. I keep them in the corner bookcase by my hammock chair stand so that I can just reach for one and browse. If you don’t feel you have time for a whole book, you may enjoy short stories, such as the Chicken Soup series. There are so many of them now, and the stories in each book are short reads, and very uplifting.
Another way to beat the “winter blahs”, as we have been focusing on this week, is to watch funny movies or funny shows! Is there an old series, like for me, Three’s Company, that always made you laugh? Buy it! You can buy a whole season of many sitcoms for less than $10! Or maybe you enjoy funny movies. That is another thing you can pick up for as little as $5 for some of the older movies.
I have a comedy library of funny DVDs. Some of my favorites include Old Dogs, Meet the Parents, Meet the Fockers, It’s Complicated, Wild Hogs, among many more. Winter is the perfect time to curl up and watch a movie that causes you to laugh and feel happy. Make some popcorn and get cozy! I actually don’t like to be inside very much in the warmer months, so this is a perfect time for me to curl up on my quilted hammock and catch up on some of my favorite movies.
I am full of ideas for erasing the “winter blues” or the “winter blahs”, because, even though I am a very happy and positive person, I find myself sliding into the doldrums of winter in January or February. I have been practicing, for years, ways to make winter more enjoyable for myself. I don’t enjoy the cold, so I find myself inside much of the time.
So, the best advice I can give you is to actually leave your comfort zone, as I need to do also, and go outside! No matter the weather or the temperature, just dress accordingly, go outside, and breathe in the outdoors. It can be crisp and refreshing in the winter! Take a little walk around your house. It can do wonders for your mood! I have an old rope hammock that I leave out in the back yard to bundle up in occasionally, for fun. I am always amazed at what cold, fresh air can do for me!
On the topic of raising our spirits or the “winter blues”, the music we listen to can truly make us feel better. That is, if we choose uplifting music that we enjoy. That will vary greatly from person to person, so I suggest that you choose what you like. But, here is the important part. Actually choose the music that makes you feel better.
Some music, even though we like it, can actually make us sad, if we are already borderline, on a glum day! So, be aware of that. Notice how it makes you feel. If it is happy, then it’s on your list of music for these days. I enjoy playing some of my favorite music while lounging in my one of my Pawleys Island hammocks, napping, or reading. This truly refreshes my spirit!
As some of us, myself included is just getting through the winter months here, I am offering some suggestions to help brighten a gloomy day. Isn’t the sun brilliant and beautiful on a cold winter’s day? It seems more clear than any other season. The problem is when we get none of those great rays, and it is cold!
Yesterday, I mentioned bright colors. Today, I am recommending scents, aromatherapy, for another word. This is a whole topic, large enough for a book! But since this is a blog, I will just mention that using scents that are pleasing to us and can lift our spirits. The easiest way is probably a candle, as the flame is a small, warm light, which brings us peace. Another way are the ever popular reed diffusers. I have a beautiful, ocean scent on the bookcase right beside my hammock chair stand, so that when I sit there to read, I get a nice whiff. Then there are electric diffusers for essential oils, some with mist and lights. Just choose what will work best for you, or a combination.
One way for me to brighten a gloomy day is through color. Bright, cheery colors always help me to feel better. Sometimes the winter days can be a bit long and gray.
My advice is to make room in your house for a small. cheery hammock! That is, if you are stuck inside for the winter! If you are not, then what is there to be gloomy about? So, pick a small, Brazilian hammock, and find a spot in your family room, den, bedroom, or basement to hang it. If there is absolutely no room, then hang it from the ceiling, from one hook, as a chair. It is amazing what this will do for a dismal mood when you see it and use it.
While we are discussing resolutions, one of the most popular ones is exercise. This doesn’t mean you need a gym membership, if that doesn’t suit you or isn’t in your budget. There is a simple exercise you can do anywhere without any equipment, except a good pair of sneakers.
Walking! It is the best and safest exercise there is. It allows you to start at your own comfort level, and then increase gradually, as you become stronger. Even ten minutes every day is better than nothing at all! It also adds up to seventy minutes in a week! It will also make you appreciate a nice rest when you are finished. Maybe you are lucky enough to have a hanging hammock chair to lounge in as a reward!
I always have a handful of New Year’s resolutions each year. New habits I would like to start and some old habits I would like to break. I always feel the new year is a fresh start, a clean slate. One of my resolutions is to read more. I truly enjoy reading, but I find myself getting busy with other things and not making time for me to do what I enjoy.
So, I am going to make a conscious effort every day to take time for myself. I am going to lounge in my hammock, because I am happy to be lucky enough to have room for one in my home. I enjoy my Hatteras Hammocks hammock so much, especially when the wind is blowing outside, and it may be snowing, as it is right now. I am going to snuggle up with a pillow and a blanket and read before I go to bed, rested and peaceful, because I made time for myself.
As I mentioned yesterday, the greatest way to relax is in a hammock chair. In my opinion, this is the best relaxation, and a hammock swing is small enough to fit in any room of your house. It is perfect in any corner of a room. It can be hung from the ceiling or hung from a hammock chair stand.
The whole family could benefit from one. Teenagers seem to enjoy them in their bedrooms. But, of course, then you would need one for yourself! You will discover a peaceful feeling when lightly swaying in your hanging chair. You could spend a few minutes or a few hours every day! You will soon discover that you are a calmer, happier person, just by doing this!
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