Spring can seem awfully far away in January. Here are some easy ways to help you make it through.
1
Wear something bright.
By the middle of winter, who needs more dark? Wear something colorful at least once a week.
2
Get rid of stuff.
Don’t hold on to things you don’t use, need, or love. Recycle or give them away. You’ll feel lighter.
3
Grow something.
Something green and growing in your house (as long as it’s not in your refrigerator) will keep your spirits up.
4
Read the funnies.
Re-acquaint yourself with the Sunday comics. See if you can find a child young enough to let you read aloud to them.
5
Learn how to do something new.
Bake bread, play handball, read poetry, love your neighbor. Speak Spanish, wire a lamp, back the car out of the driveway without running over the lawn, forgive yourself.
6
File your taxes early.
Waiting till April 15th means having taxes hanging over your head for almost the entire winter. What, you weren’t depressed enough?
7
Paint a room.
Or just the woodwork. Or a door. Freshly-painted anything is a mood-booster. A new color is even better.
8
Complete one thing you keep putting off.
Get those photos framed. Finish knitting that scarf. Find your passport. Make a donation. Go back to school. Go back to church. Take a nap.
9
Get the car washed.
Road salt is bad for the finish, and driving through those things is kind of fun. Plus it’s affordable.
10
Eat dinner at the table.
Even if it’s take-out. Even if it’s just you.
11
Make a change.
Take a bath instead of a shower or vice versa. Become a vegetarian or stop being one. Rearrange the living room furniture. Switch to bow-ties. Say your prayers.
12
Get off the Internet and do some old-fashioned indoor activity.
Play Scrabble. Play cards. Play the piano. Do a jigsaw puzzle. Paint by number. Make Valentines. Have a conversation.
