I think this is the first winter I have suffered from a small case of the ‘winter blues’ or as I like to call them the ‘winter BLAHS’. While I consider myself lucky my symptoms don’t even come close to people who struggle with serious depression this time of year, I do find the realization of driving to-and-from working in complete darkness and going a week without an ounce of vitamin D touching my skin has just made me feel “blah.”
I took a trip to Cuba last month which more than helped snap me out of it and add some much needed freckles to my face, however it’s also made the transition back to winter that much harder because every morning I leave my house my mind instantly still snaps back to the beautiful, warm weather and beach I was greeted with outside my hotel’s doorstep everyday. Somehow wet sloppy grass and pummelling down rain that now greets me outside my door just doesn’t compare. But this is the reality of winter on the West Coast and it isn’t changing anytime soon.
(Me basking in the Cuban sun!)
As funny as it sounds, I find watching movies with tropical destinations helps me shrug off the winter blahs. For a few hours your mind transports you to a tropical destination that almost makes you feel warmer. I find hot yoga also helps. When I was living in Kamloops the hot yoga studio I went to featured a giant photo of a tropical beach on one of its walls that literally made you feel like you were in another country (if only I returned with a nice, glowing tan!)
We’re all in this together .However if you’re suffering from a serious case of winter blues and feel you need some help, Fraser Health also has a crisis line.
Three months ’til spring …..TOGETHER, we can weather the storm!
– Vanessa xoxo
– vanessa@pulsefm.ca
@VanessaLYbarra