Hi ,

As I write this, California, where I live, is finishing up with its recent barrage of winter storms. As much as I know how much we needed all this rain and snow, a part of me hates it because the lack of sunshine begins to effect my mood.

At this time of year, many people suffer from the winter blues, also called SAD – Seasonal Affective Disorder. This can drive the need to eat a lot of carbs – especially sweets. Most animals put on weight in the winter and we’re no different. According to research from The University of Exeter, it's ingrained in our biology to want to eat more in the winter months. Plus, the lack of activity contributes to the weight gain.

In the winter, I notice I sleep a lot more. If I had my way, I’d hibernate like a bear and awaken in the spring, when the sun returns. 

And yet January is the time when many people attempt to make life changes, but it can be awfully hard to do that when the winter has got you feeling unmotivated and lazy. So if you can relate to any of this, give yourself a break. There is a biological reason to this. This too shall pass! Personally, I always feel my most productive and motivated in the spring, summer, and early fall. 

If you’ve got a touch of the winter blues, one of the best things you can do is to get moving. Walking, dancing, or going to the gym can help a lot. All these activities release endorphins which boost your mood. If you can, get outside each day, hopefully when there is some sun. You can also try these light lamps to help boost your mood. 

If you're a reader, and you're going through a hard time right now, I recommend the book Wintering, How to Survive When Life is Frozen. The Power of Rest and Retreat In Difficult Times by Katherine May. 

From Amazon:

" Katherine May recounts her own year-long journey through winter, and how she found strength and inspiration when life felt frozen. Part memoir, part exploration of a human condition, Wintering explores the healing nature of the great outdoors to help us overcome and embrace our own wintering experiences, and how, much like nature, we can learn to appreciate these low periods, and what they have to teach us, before the ushering in of a new season."

Note: I am not an Amazon Affiliate and don't receive a commission on anything I recommend. 

Engaging in a creative hobby is good too. I recently read where painting lights up the same reward centers in the brain that sex and drugs do. Painting is my personal bliss. At 65, I'll take painting over sex any day. It lasts much longer and I have something fun to look at when it’s over…lol… I try to engage myself creatively every day, even if it’s only for 10 to 15 minutes. 

This is where doodling comes in. Doodling is great for a daily creative practice. You don't have to be an artist to doodle. In only 10 to 15 minutes you can create a doodle, engage your creativity, boost your mood, and have some fun! People often underestimate how powerful a little creativity in your daily life is. I think of it as my daily dose of joy!

In my course, Artful Doodles, I teach you how to do circle doodles. They are a quick, fun way to doodle. They only take 10 to 15 minutes. Afterwards, you can even use them for collage, art journaling, or cut them out and put them on a blank greeting card.