How to beat the winter blues

Subject: How to beat the winter blues
From: An
Date: 18 Dec 01 - 04:07 PM

Do you ever get the winter blues? What is your favourite weapon against them? (Apart from hibernation, that is!) :) An

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 18 Dec 01 - 04:10 PM

Hot chocolate, and cakes puddings etc.I also eat winter food (stews, rice pudding etc)

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: Wesley S
Date: 18 Dec 01 - 04:23 PM

Watch my tape of "Laurence Of Arabia". Or "Body Heat". Both guaranteed to make you sweat.

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Dec 01 - 04:25 PM

I really love the music of the season - maybe that's why we have it. Singing cures the blues better than anything I know.
Try singing "12 Days of Christmas" and ham it up as much as you can - we did this at song circle Friday, and couldn't stop laughing. Then try making parodies of "12 Days." I've been doing that since the first of the month. My sweetie may kick me out of the house...
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Dec 01 - 04:33 PM

1. Go to a warm place with a beach. (Out, no big bucks)
2. Go to a big mall and test drive cds, hot computers and music systems. (Leave credit card at home)
3. Hot chocolate, preferrably Ybarra.
4. Play southern blues (to beat the blues) or Caribbean, Cajun, Latin on cd, internet radio, lps.

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: GUEST,SharonA on vacation, checkin' in
Date: 18 Dec 01 - 04:43 PM

Here in deciduous-tree country (trees with leaves that fall off in autumn and don't grow back till spring), I cope by hanging colorful decorative flags in my windows so I'm not looking out at bare branches. I've got flags for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, winter and Easter, with a couple for Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day (I'm really "into" holiday decorations!), so I'm not looking at the same flags for half a year.

I'm sure some of my neighbors think I'm weird, but I've gotten compliments from some of them, too. Those decorative plastic "window clings" or other window dressing (even some bright curtains!) would work as well, I'm sure.

But Joe Offer makes a good point when he mentions song circles: don't isolate yourself; be sure to have fun with friends when the weather allows it! When you're snowed in, use the 'net or a phone to stay in touch, or *gasp* write a letter!

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: Bobert
Date: 18 Dec 01 - 05:07 PM

Up here (or down here?) in the mountains of West Virginia, I look forward to winter because as the days get shorter and colder I am forced inside...which means more time for guitar pickin, song writin, bird feedin, woodstove watchin, wife chasin... excuse me, she just got home... "Hey, Baby..."

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: GUEST,BigDaddy
Date: 18 Dec 01 - 06:18 PM

Go sledding, cross country skiing, snowshoeing or hiking if there's not enough snow. The woods are gorgeous when the trees are bare. You can see so much more. Cozy indoor places with fireplaces are wonderful, whether it's the local library, student lounge, pub or lounge at a ski area. Don't think of it as cold and miserable...think of it as brisk and invigorating. Winter is a time for appreciating snug warmth indoors, telling stories or reading good books and listening to good music. Feel the magic of this time of year. Go to a nature center, art museum, find a town with a real old-fashioned "downtown" or city center and go shopping (you don't have to buy anything). Start writing the great American (or whatever) novel. Start researching your family history. Talk to elderly relatives (or strangers) and record the conversations (so much personal and family history is being lost). Buy or rent an instrument and learn to play it. If you've got snow, use it. Find a spot in the woods where you can safely build a campfire. Find a friend to share it with (bring hot cocoa). Try counting the stars on a brisk winter's night. If it's really cold, take a deep breath of that refreshing air and think what a blessing it is, like a cold drink of good spring water. Visit shut-ins. Volunteer some of your time. Need I go on?

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: Amos
Date: 18 Dec 01 - 06:24 PM

Go swim in the ocean at the peak of the day. Watch dolphins. Go sailing on weekends. Do outdoor projects while the sun is out. Run more, drink less.

A.

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: MMario
Date: 18 Dec 01 - 06:24 PM

friends, songs, hibernation. seriously - by the time I get through the fall and christmas - I'm ready to hibernate until the snow melts.

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: An
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 04:38 AM

Way to go!!I'm off to town to try out some guitars, buy a Cajun tape, a colourful piece of fabric (yep! flag on its way!), and for tonight I reserve the twelve days of christmas personal version - or some chasing. Not sure yet. Amos, by the sounds of it, you live in a very different place (is it earth or heaven?) say hi to the dolphins for me, will you?

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: CarolC
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 05:09 AM

Last year I went to Canada for a few weeks to cure my winter blues. It worked, too. Don't know for sure what's going to do it for me this year. I've got an idea, but I'm not telling just yet.

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 05:51 AM

Shortest day almost upon us. I hate the period when you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark, can't do any jobs outside except at weekends. After this week it'll no longer be a problem!
RtS(31st wedding anniversary today so an excuse for wine mid-week, that helps to banish the "winter blues")
"Woke up this mornin'
Got those winter blues
Guess I'll just have to
Get out my old snow shoes"

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 11:23 AM

You are correct! You can't beat winter booze!

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 11:54 AM

It's called Seasonal Affective Disorder. (SAD.)

The fix? Sunlight, real or faux. Faux sun is two "full-spectrum" fluorescent bulbs rated 90 CRI or higher, for a half hour or longer daily, if you can't get at least that much good strong sunlight outside or if you are sunk so deep you can't get your shoes on to go see.

Many retail stores now carry these for routine household lighting too, cheap-- used to be real hard to find and trendily expensive. We use them in our kitchen since we spend so much time in there each day, and Hardi has changed his office lights to these as well. You CAN ask your boss if they will swap out the bulbs over your cubicle as long as you provide the bulbs. I asked for this in one place repeatedly and finally the boss converted her own office to them. Her cyclical winter blues, an annual pit deeper than any I'd seen before, disappeared.

~Susan

Subject: RE: How to beat thewinter blues
From: John J
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 12:10 PM

I bought my wife a light box designed to help relieve the symptoms of S.A.D. She suffers VERY serious glooms, made worse in winter. She has been on all manner of pills from the doc for the last 14+ years. This medication has caused wild fluctuation in her weight (currently 13 stone, she has been 9 stone). A bit like eating chocolate really :-), though she doesn't.

She used the light box for one winter but not since.

You can lead a horse to water ....

Ho hum.

John

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: Mrrzy
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 12:54 PM

I have full-specrtum lights in my office now, and am not nearly as down as I was last year this time, which is great. I also find that as long as I am with people, I can maintain, it's when I'm alone that things go down the tubes; I've gone to sleep with people's phone numbers clutched in my hand so that if I woke up with the wrong motivations (I *really* wanted to die last year) I had somebody I could call without even having to find their phone numnber.

Use those lights! Surround yourself with loved ones, or at least loving ones! Call any of us, there were several Mudcat phone numbers in my sweaty little hand...

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 01:21 PM

John, PM me if needed.

But put the thing on a timer or turn it on for her-- really, when you need it, you can't imagine doing it for yourself.

~S~

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: Philibuster
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 01:53 PM

Put up some vitamin D lamps. Assure your neighbors you aren't growing marijuana.
Constant loud banjo music. Assure your neigbors you arent smoking marijuana.
Give lots of presents. Assure your neighbors you aren't selling marijuana.
Take lots of St. John's Wort and Garlic. Assure the paranoid bastards that live next door that these are legal herbs.
Lots of hot chocolate...and hope it snows so you can launch shovel loads of it at your paranoid neighbors.

Philibuster, watching for black helicopters. =P

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: An
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 02:42 PM

I can but marvel at the effect of talking to you guys. before I know it, I'm laughing out loud with Philibuster (Thanks!!) and considering buying special lamps!! (No, not the blue ones, thank you). Big hug, An

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 03:19 PM

What's he BUILDING over there???

~Tom Waits

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: Guessed
Date: 20 Dec 01 - 11:07 AM

winter blues? SAD? Cabin Fever?
try an alarm clock made by "Outside In" in the UK (uou will find them on the net) & there are US versions.
It has a buzzer and a lamp and the top model has the old random on/off for when you are away for a time but the best bit is not only does it turn the light to wake you with a warm (actually quite bright - that is its purpose) glow and a buzzer or not as you chose BUT the light can be set to come on over a period of time just like the dawn.
The dawn can be up to 90 minutes and believe me IT WORKZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz.

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: DancingMom
Date: 21 Dec 01 - 12:08 AM

I have to get my self outside for a while every day,and get some light, regardless of the temperature. Otherwise I'm in trouble. There are days when it's dark when I go in to work and dark when I leave work, and those days can be a problem. On those days I put on some bluegrass, or blues, and DANCE until I'm out of breath or my knees start to protest. Sharon

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: John J
Date: 21 Dec 01 - 04:36 AM

There was an article on BBC R4 'Today' programme this morning on S.S.A.D. (super S.A.D.??). I didn't catch the full item I'm afraid, did anyone else?

JJ

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: An
Date: 21 Dec 01 - 05:45 AM

Sorry, I didn't, John. Sounds interesting.

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: Raptor
Date: 21 Dec 01 - 09:01 AM

I fill my bird feeders and watch the Chickadees Play!
Raptor

Subject: RE: How to beat the winter blues
From: 53
Date: 21 Dec 01 - 09:04 PM

watching the birds at my feeders, going for walks all bundled up, playing guitar a lot, spending more time with glenda, and i try to get outside when it's sunny, and sometimes just sit in my car after the sun has been shining on it for a while, and it's all warm and toasty inside, but most of all, down here we don't get to many real cold days, and we really enjoy the ones we get. BOB