the winter blues.

In my classroom, I always used to warn students and parents about the "third quarter slump" when we returned from Christmas break.

You get back to school to start second semester and you're coming down off of a holiday break full of carbs and sparkling lights and a feeling of peace & joy.

Teachers are working hard to get in all of the content that is needed before the school year starts to wind down.

And let's be honest...it can be so dark and gloomy outside!  ​

Days and days of inside recess.  Need I say more?

In the education world, the "third quarter slump" is alive and well.

But this year...I'm not in the classroom.  

I'm sitting in an office doing a job that I love working with a team of leaders and staff members that just warm my heart.

I have lamps and a little peaceful fountain and I can use the restroom whenever I want.

We have had a few unexpected days off and I feel like I'm basically in control of my house right now.

And I'm still feeling the "third quarter slump".

I think sometimes this time of year is just hard.

This time of year is often lacking sunshine. 
Illness is making its way around.
It's cold...and sometimes snowy or icy, making it hard to get from point A to point B.
It's dark when we leave the house and often dark when we get home.

And let's be real here...some of us feel like we have already failed at some of those goals we set on January 1st (less than a month ago).

The winter blues are very real, but there are a few things I've found that help me to heave myself out of that third quarter slump when the days feel long and not as enjoyable as we would like them to.

1. Look Forward

It always helps me to have something to look forward to.

Whether it's a ballgame over the weekend or a 5K I've signed up for in the middle of next month, having specific calendar events in mind motivates me.

For example, participating in the Farmhouse654 12-week challenge has given me some direction over the next twelve weeks.

My days are filled up with purposeful tasks that help me to meet goals that I set for myself at the beginning of the year.

Another example would be the fact that Matthew and I have booked a cruise for mid-July for our 15-year-anniversary.  This helps me to be hyper-focused on a few financial and health goals I would like to accomplish before then. 

There are some projects around the outside of the house that we would like to get finished before next school year.  This winter, we are working on identifying these projects and breaking them down into manageable steps we can start NOW. 

In fact, Mr. Farmhouse and his crew (our dads, brothers, cousins, Harlee) got the outside fence posts put in a few weekends ago when we had a spring-like day!  And he's out there again today...at 19º.  Brrrr!

2. Keep Moving

This weather makes me want to hibernate.

I want to run to the car in the morning, drive to work, do my job, leave work, and come straight home to curl up in my bed.  

I don't want to do anything extra...including housework, cooking supper, or especially exercise.

However, I have found that when I set a schedule to get some movement into my days, I truly and honestly feel better.

Even if it's only three times a week, if I can get onto that treadmill and force myself to DO something...it really makes a huge difference in how my week goes.

3. Turn on the Lights

It's no secret that sunshine is good for the soul.

Seasonable Affective Disorder (SAD) is the scientific name for the winter blues.

While experts have lots of suggestions to help beat the winter blues, they all seem to agree on one thing...the importance of LIGHT!

Turns the lights on and turn them on early.

Start the day with artificial lights on to trick your body into thinking that rest time is over and it's time to get going.

Open blinds or curtains to let as much natural light as you can throughout the day and SOAK THAT STUFF IN!

4. Stay Connected

When we are feeling down, we sometimes have a tendency to slowly separate ourselves from others. 

We spend more time at home.

More time cooped up inside.

More time disconnected from others.

There's a fine line between taking some at-home rest & relaxation with your own little family and putting up walls to start and build a barrier with the outside world.

And it's all a slippery slope.

The more time we spend disconnected from others, the easier it is to not let people in.

The more days we go straight home and avoid human interaction, the easier it becomes to think of that as the "norm".

Stay connected with others.  And not just online.

Meet up with a friend for coffee.
Make a phone call (gasp!) to a friend.
Go out and run errands...talk to people!

5. ​Do Something

Finally...do something.  Do ANYthing.

Sometimes the winter blues can become extreme and paralyzing.

And sometimes it is hard to make yourself do anything above and beyond your necessary daily responsibilities.

On days like this, I think it's important to just START.

Do ONE thing.

And then do another thing.

Take it moment by moment, task by task.

Do something and then sit down and rest.

Do another thing and then sit down and rest.

We sometimes need to work through our days (or evenings) like this...just babystepping our way through some of those tasks we tend to put off during the winter.

Sometimes those first few tasks can get our motivation rolling enough to make some serious progress...even on a hard day.

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Here's the deal.

The winter blues are real.

They can come at different times and at varying degrees for all of us.

For my dear friends struggling with clinical depression, I know that these five suggestions won't cure that. 

There are medications and therapists and lots of options for support available and I hope and pray that you are taking advantage of these things.

However, maybe...just maybe...focusing on some of these suggestions will help to lighten the blow of the dark & cold days that comes with this season.

Day by day,
Goal by goal,
Step by step.

We can do this.

Looking forward to spring here at the farmhouse,
Hannah

​❤️🏡❤️