How to Beat the Winter Blues and Get Back to Writing

Over the past few weeks I have seen Pennsylvania temperatures from -10 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit (not including an insane wind chill that makes the air feel like it's made of needles). My heat and electric bills have sky-rocketed, and I have found myself in what seems like a perpetual state of cold. In addition to that, I'm dealing with the usual day-to-day obstacles from work stress, to dating struggles, to motherhood in general (and more). Every winter I experience the same mopey level of "What is my life?"

I have also noticed that my writing often falls to the wayside during the winter months for several reasons. My writing time has always been in the late hours. I'm not a morning person, and likely will never be a morning person. But I love to stay up late and I'm most productive after 7:00pm. I've been that way since I was thirteen or so. But lately I put my daughter to bed at 8:00, then crawl into my own bed shortly after. I wake up with barely enough time to get ready in the morning, yet even after nine or more hours of sleep at night (way more than I ever get), I still feel exhausted. When I was seeing a therapist a year or so ago, she told me that my winter blues likely come from a Vitamin D deficiency in the winter. I always hated when my therapist was right (she was always right), but this totally made sense. The winter blues are real, and they hit me hard each year. But it's important that I don't continue to let it slow me down in my life, or in my writing. Here are a few tips for beating those winter blues and getting back to writing.

1. Be active.

This is already helping me a bit. Since the end of December I have slowly been sliding back into my post-travel-season exercise routine. I'm not to the point where I'm working out every day, but I am at a solid 3-5 days a week so far. It's a decent start. Since getting back to the gym and being conscious of how much I move throughout the day, I have already felt a slight shift in mood. My energy throughout the day is slowly increasing as my strength and stamina build with my cardio and resistance training. I'm more alert. I also get random bursts of energy throughout the day to the point where coworkers will ask, "What's wrong with you?" I'll be the first to admit that this is kind of my favorite thing. But even if you're not hitting the gym each morning or night, it's important to get your body moving. This seems like the perfect time of year to hibernate under layers of blankets, chunky sweaters, and fleece-lined leggings in the warmth of our homes with hot tea and Netflix. But don't do it! Go for a walk. I strongly believe that a long walk can cure just about anything. Walk to the end of your street each day, or take a stroll through the woods. The fresh air and tiny bit of sunshine will do wonders for your soul. If you can't (or won't) go outside, find other ways to move around the house. Get your heart pumping with some stair climbs. Center yourself with a little yoga. Even extensive household chores will help more than sitting on your rump in front of the television. Just get moving!

2. Let go of things you can't control.

Sometimes difficult things happen to us, and we can't do anything about them. Sometimes those things rip the best pieces of us in half. When this happens, there are two options. Only two. Let it go and move forward, or stay where you are and wait for the pieces to fix themselves. I'm guilty of trying both options, and I can tell you that one is wildly more effective than the other. I have been going through a rough time this month for reasons I won't share here, but earlier this month instead of distracting myself, or just accepting how things are and moving on, I wallowed in my sadness. An entire weekend that could have been super productive was instead spent lying in bed being bummed out. Earlier this week I told myself that I was not going to be this person, and I started the process of letting go. Every time a sad thought comes into my head, I push it out with three more positive ones. I can't control whatever happened, but I can control how I react to it. Letting go will motivate me far faster than remaining stagnant. This applies to writing as well. Whether you're in that sort of purgatory of a middle space between writing projects, or if you're healing after some tough rejection letters, it's time to move on. You have to force yourself to let go, and prepare for the next great thing, or you'll never get there.

3. Turn it up.

Have you ever been in a mediocre mood, but that one song that you love came on (you know the one), and suddenly you were dancing around your house and singing into your hairbrush? That is because music can significantly improve a person's mood. For me, it's anything by Florence + the Machine. I'm obsessed. My day could be totally miserable, but as soon as someone plays my beloved Florence, I've already decided it's a good day. Listen to the music that moves you in such a way. Maybe you're the kind of person who can listen to music when you're writing. Maybe you're not. But I guarantee if you spend a little extra time with the volume up, it will help bring you out of that winter gloom.

4. Take care of your body.

This seems obvious, but it's also easy to neglect. Be sure you're eating well and drinking plenty of water. I struggle with both. My biggest problem in life is that I love to eat bread far more than my body appreciates. I also drink about a quarter of the water I am supposed to drink each day (the goal is to consume half of your body weight in ounces). So, instead of living off bread and beer (I wish it weren't real, but it totally is), I should be fueling my body with nutrients it needs. I shouldn't be bogging it down with sugar. Too much sugar in your diet has been proven to cause anxiety, irritability, and fatigue. Be sure you're paying careful attention to everything you put into your body. It has a lot more to do with your mood than you think. You may also want to talk to your doctor about taking a Vitamin D supplement. If your body is lacking it, a supplement may be a great addition to a healthy diet (but talk to your doctor first).

5. Just write!

Do it. Just start writing. Maybe you don't know what to write, or maybe you're going to write complete crap today. Write it anyway. You can only improve if you start. The struggle you're experiencing is a cycle. You have the winter blues because you're in a writing funk, but you're in a writing funk because you're feeling blue. The best way to get yourself out of such a rut is to start writing something. It might take a while to gain traction, but once you do, you'll feel amazing. The key is: start now, then keep going.

I get it. It's cold. I don't get as excited about going outside this time of year (and some days with that wind chill I downright dread it). I miss the hot sun on my exposed skin. I miss music festivals, and cookouts, and late summer nights, and long hikes where the air doesn't hurt my face. I miss reading on the front porch, and writing in the woods. But we can still find ways to beat those winter blues and get back to writing. Get moving, let go of negativity, throw on some tunes, drink your water, and just write!