{Sigh} The incredibly vibrant and multi-colored leaves of autumn are gone, which is especially jarring here in the Northeast, where this year's fall foliage was particularly spectacular. Pretty much all of the leaves have fallen from the branches; now, only the brown, dried-out, and crinkled ones linger.
Is it any wonder that Seasonal Affective Disorder has the acronym "SAD"? My least favorite weather is gray. Providing I'm not driving, I'd rather have rain, snow, sleet, and even hail, all of which lend a certain drama and interest to the day. But gray? Just no.
However, this blog is not called "Joylessly Gray." So, here's a list of what I'm doing to keep my spirits up until the snow arrives. I think most of the following things are not as much fun to do when the weather is sunny, summery, and gorgeous, so why not take advantage of these timely pleasures now?
- Curl up under a warm throw in a cozy corner with a good book. Need ideas for a good read? I'm always ripe with suggestions, so here are three of my all-time (and very different) favorites: Waiting by Ha Jin; Roman Fever and Other Stories by Edith Wharton; and The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend.
- Take extended cuddling breaks with a velvety-eared dog. Don't have a pet? Now might be a good time to open up your heart and home to a furry friend from a local shelter. (Try Petfinder.com for starters.) Is a pet a lot of work? Yep. Is it worth it? YEP!!!
- Make homemade bread, a hearty soup, mulled cider, cookies--anything that will fill the house with a scrumptious and irresistible scent. (And the more helping hands in the kitchen, the merrier!)
- Schedule time with friends. Don't just shop for them, be with them!
- Hit the theaters. There's something so delightful about sitting in a warm, cozy, crowded theater when it's blustery and bleak outside.
- Seek out the fireplaces. If you don't have a fireplace of your own, visit a restaurant, pub, hotel, or even a library that has a crackling fire and nestle beside it. (The public libraries in Chester, NJ and Mendham, NJ both have lovely fireplaces. Yet another reason to love the library!)
- Appreciate the stark beauty of the bare branches--the delicate articulation of the limbs, each branch reaching for its own view of the sun.
- Read Fletcher and the Falling Leaves to the kids, a heart-melting reminder that although we've lost the leaves, the glittering snowflakes aren't far off.
Here's to making it beyond "the gray times" by creating happiness, warmth, and hopefulness within.
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I read your post earlier today after I'd been thinking about how much the shorter, grey days affect me. I find it difficult to motivate myself sometimes and I think I probably move around a bit more slowly too. Like you, I find other types of winter weather exhilerating and bracing but grey days can be so dull.
I agree that baking and curling up with a book are great ways to fight the winter blues. I love the idea of sitting by an open fire in a library and I'm now going to go and research libraries with open fires and see if London has any!
Lighting candles is quite a nice way to add some cosiness at home during the colder months and if I'm able I like to get a bit of exercise. I'm limited in terms of what kind and how much exercise I can do but I usually go to a yoga class once a week, which is hard work but always boosts my mood. I think it's a combination of the endorphins from the exercise and also being around other people that helps.
For some reason I've not picked up my camera for a very long time now but taking photos and sometimes drawing the things around me can be a nice way to notice life's little pleasures, which may otherwise be difficult to see, especially if you're feeling SAD.
Posted by: Concretemoomin | 12/04/2013 at 01:06 PM