To ask what "little things" help get you through the less exciting winter months?

[Ilovepearjuice]

In particular, January and February?

I'm definitely a person affected by the long, dark, cold evenings. Once the festivities and twinkly lights of Christmas and New Year is over, I always go through a very glum period and Jan/Feb seem to drag on forever.

Please may I ask what little things you do to get you through those winter blues? What brings you joy? Trips away, purchases, activities... Anything!

I want to make a list in advance and plan ahead, so that I know I always have something to make me feel good and hopefully others too!

@Mrsdoubtfireswig

Exercise ! I might be in the minority

I try to do RED January every year, even if it’s exercise every day rather than run. One year I did run every day in January, it was hellish at times - dark, rain, sleet and snow but I felt truly motivated and such a sense of achievement at the end - it was brilliant. And by that time it was February so a step closer to spring

Same here. My target is outdoor exercise rather than pure running. My fitness is on really good form by the start of Feb too.

Boris broke me this year with the 13 hours notice that the children weren't going back to school, and I was burned out from running much more in December filling the void that should have been Christmas events. Not sure whether to sign up this time as I've got a marathon in the spring and need to build up milage, and it might be too ambitious balancing both...

A lot of fresh air walking, just put on proper clothing for the conditions. Read a lot of books snuggled up on the sofa, I look for things to celebrate like Burns night in a January and then Valentines Day (even when I was single I’d treat myself on Valentine’s Day)

Snowboarding with DH in early Jan. We’re both so excited. 🏂

Every single day, sunset is a couple of minutes later, give or take. The longer days mean creeping closer to grass growing and everything waking up for spring. Snowdrops, daffodils, every little hint that there's a future that isn't entirely dark, wet and muddy.

Book a log cabin with friends and hot tub - very cheap in Jan too

I do 30 days of yoga in January (on YouTube - Yoga with Adriene) which is a nice gentle excercise challenge and makes me feel so good (and has a lovely community vibe). I will light candles as I do it in the evenings and it’s very cosy and nourishing.

Also long dog walks and coming home to watch films and drink hot chocolates!

We’re also a gaming household so it’s a good time to get into something like that - the winter that Zelda BOTW came out was brilliant. Otherwise we
like to play things like Mario Kart together.

@AcrossthePond55

I live in a more temperate climate than the UK, so our winters aren't 'bleak' per se. But we can still feel the winter doldrums with the short days and cold (to us) weather. We love to take 'snow drives' to perk ourselves up. We live in the foothills of the Sierras and on the first sunny day after a good snowfall we take our 4WD 'up the hill' to a cute little (tourist) town for lunch and window shopping. Nothing like seeing the 'snow sparkles' in the trees and on the side of the road and stomping around in the brisk cold air.

@AcrossthePond55, where do you go? (we also live in So Cal)

I'm a yarnaholic, so I pick out some really beautiful yarn as a Christmas present (I've just bought this year's & put it away). Then I start my new project in the new year, as a pure pleasure & indulgence.

Last year it was metallic yarn & a book on learning to knit traditional shawls, inspired by some glorious ones on Ravelry; but I still haven't started as I was in hospital with cancer in January & the year has progressed in quite a weird way. So I'll have two new things to have a go at.

I have Seasonal Affective Disorder each Winter but find a few things help me:

• Realising that the first part of Winter is the lead up to Christmas and then as soon as it's over the days are getting a little longer and brighter each day.

• Getting up a bit earlier to help my body clock adjust.

• Taking a Vitamin D supplement and eating lots of fruit and veg.

• Lots of cosy movie nights with warm blankets, popcorn and hot chocolate.

@ifIwerenotanandroid
💐
That’s lovely hope you are feeling better

I love Jan and Feb. Six nations, birthdays, snow, start of a new year, the bleak beauty of winter. March to June I find so dull.
Nice hot bath every night, star gazing on a cold clear night, crisp brisk walks, hearty winter stews and bakes, cosy films. I do love watching the news channels too with reporters all wrapped up in the chill outside Westminster or in Washington while I'm all warm on my sofa!
Also love a European city break at Feb half term, walking for miles in freezing crisp snowy air and then eating the local bakery treats of wherever we are.

Books!

December is usually a very busy month, so in the new year I like to line up all my reading and make sure I spend at least an hour a day on my own with a book.

I also love pottering round the garden to see what’s happening; it feels heartening to see the green shoots come forth, and buds on the trees

Spa days
Theatre trips
Meals with friends
Mini breaks

Kids have birthdays in Jan/Feb - is very good to have an event to look forward to. Plan something you will look forward to?

officiallondontheatre.com/new-year-sale/
New year theatre ticket sale (this is for London theatres, not sure if there is similar for other areas) I’ve bought loads of tickets over the years for a fraction of the normal price through this.

I agree actually. I feel like it goes Halloween, bonfire night, I’m a celeb, month of Christmas activities, shopping, markets etc, new year then all of a sudden nothing for 3/4 months, it’s freezing, everyone’s skint and on a diet 🤔

I always request books or book tokens for Christmas so that i know, come those long winter evenings when the excitement and bustle is over i can snuggle up and read long awaited books. All through the year i buy them from charity shops but at Christmas i treat myself to some latest releases.

Last year I started going out for a weekly walk with my best mate (thanks to lockdown!)...starting at dawn, over the Downs or on the beach.

We'd take a flask and some flapjacks...the light was beautiful and even when the weather was shite it was really fun.

Place marking - will answer tomorrow. Lovely thread ❤️

After Christmas and New Year I go into M&S a few times. They sell off the Christmas baskets of hyacinths and miniature daffs. I have several pots of different colour hyacinths at different stages so new ones are coming out for about six weeks. They last a week to ten days sometimes more. I sometimes repot them in a big jardiniere with miniature daffs and violas and put them in the dining room.

I make warm homemade soups.
I leave the dining room lights on. I have twigs and white and silver decorations all twined with tiny crystal type and clear beads, fairies etc.
I am crocheting a woollen blanket for January. My friend buys new cushion covers for January 6th. So I started to do that I just change them. On January 25 th we celebrate Burn’s Night either at the pub or home. On January 26 th I celebrate Australia Day and we have prawns, steak and Pavlova.
Baked potatoes after a day gardening if it is crisp and dry. Sweeping up the garden paths and raking seems productive.
Read the books I might be given for Christmas in our cosy sitting room as the wood burner is on all the time( our central heating) and we do Jigsaws too. They are addictive.
I have lots of snowdrops in the front half of the garden and I can see them out of the kitchen window and stable door. I see them every time I go in and out and they make my heart sing.
We go back to choir and hand in all our Christmas Music and get a new pack. It is exciting learning new songs and perhaps revisiting a few old ones. We sing a lot before Christmas as we are a Community Choir so we sing wherever we can as we have a break off group and sing in care homes and the hospital as well as in the town, on stage for switching on the lights etc so we are ready for some new music in January.

February is remembering to post cards as it is DDs DP birthday and then three of my nieces and nephews 1,6, 7,8. Sister no 3 on the 13 .
I used to look forward to half term but now retired so I might chose to go away for a few days. A few trips out if it isn’t icy to Northumbria, Yorkshire, the Lakes or Scotland as we can have a day visit in any of these places within an hour of home. Occasionally take a flask and a picnic if it is too wet or cold and park up with a view to have it.Do crafts. Do workshops.

Invite friends over and go to theirs. We cook for each other, have a visit to an art gallery or garden centre and have something there.
Go to the village pub. It is about 30 m away.😁

Obviously some of these things weren’t possible in the last years. I was at work before Covid so I was always busy there. I had one day a week and the weekend but often had stuff to prep.

I have just enquired about volunteering for the Hospice as they have lost a lot of volunteers so I am hoping to do the book shop and maybe the charity shop or the animal refuge nearby. I am thinking two afternoons a week.

I just try to keep busy. Even though the weather is shit I’ll always try and get out with the kids to different places- National Trust is always a good one if you have a membership already. They have lovely buildings, gardens, grounds etc so it’s nice to see something different rather than the same trip to the local park etc.

Same with any hobbies: swimming is good because it’s indoor so it doesn’t matter if it’s raining or cold. But it’s still used up an afternoon. Same could be said for shows, cinema, going out for a meal etc.

I find if I’m stuck at home on all my days off work I get really down and the weather makes me feel worse. But if I have at least one day trip/thing planned per week, it keeps morale up. On weeks where I don’t have as much free money we’ll even just go for a walk in a local forest or something. It’s free but it’s still changed things up a bit. The kids are also a lot happier if they’ve got out for a bit each day, rather than climbing the walls

I love that time of year, its like all the chaos of Christmas is out the way and you can relax. Hotel rooms are cheap so usually try to plan a weekend away in a lovely city, sometimes with friends. Enjoying playing with the kids with their Christmas toys, especially craft sets we can do together. Lots of country walks followed by hot chocolate to warm up (finding the first snowdrop is always exciting). Lighting candles in the evening then snuggling under our furry electric blanket throw (one of the best things we have ever bought) while watching old movies and drinking red wine...

I cant recommend one of these enough...!

www.lakeland.co.uk/25246/Dreamland-Alaskan-Husky-Faux-Fur-Heated-Throw?src=gfeed&gclid=CjwKCAjwiY6MBhBqEiwARFSCPnohIJPLWqk9TRXvKJWNIpPQdawuYyIngC0A75qiZKyc6k1XH-t70RoC8TsQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

@BogRollBOGOF go for it ! At the very least you could run a mile or walk, and that could compliment marathon training by being on rest day

I am planning to start marathon training this winter. Can run half marathon ok - but never done full one before. So I’ll be doing RED jan and marathon training too hopefully !

Wine