Coping with the Blues of Winter
The frigid season of winter is a topic that lots of people try to ignore as it comes, arrives and scurries itself into spring. Depending on where you live, winter can last anywhere from 3 – 5 months or longer! There are a few things that most hate about winter and I’m not afraid to admit to each one of them myself.
Running Nose
You can’t bend your head down without your nose feeling like someone turned on the faucet. Make sure to keep the Kleenex nearby. For some comfort while you blow get tissue with aloe, vitamin E or lotion in it. And please don’t let anyone know your nose is running. If word gets out about your issue you’ll never hear the end of the running jokes. “If your nose is running, you better go catch it. Harty har har har….never heard that one before.
Ashiness
Dry skin will be endless. It comes on every flippin' winter and every winter you wonder why your skin is so dry. Hello! It’s winter. It’s as if its winter’s job to make you as miserable as possible. Well your skin is no exception. Always keep some moisturizing agents nearby and lubricate as often as possible.
Crustation
This one leaves me feeling like a 6 year old. Your nose ends up feeling crusty from the dried up residue of your nose running like a faucet. It forces you to make a run for the bathroom every 2 minutes because you don’t want to face the public while you’re unsure if your nose is clean. And even if it is clean you’ll never know because it always feels dirty! Your best bet is to keep a pocket mirror with you in order to take a quick gander at your honker when you feel the need. And with today's androids and self-visualizing camera options, don't forget you can always briefly check yourself out before being face to face with those around you.
Lips Cracking
This one is miserable. You can’t take the chance of smiling without fear of cracking your lips and drawing blood! We’ve all been through it where someone says something to you that makes you want to laugh histerically and right when you begin to show teeth CRACK! Your lips split and it feels as if they’re bleeding all over the place. And unfortunately it takes you days before your cracked lips stop hurting. Don’t forget to cover your smoochers with some good lip balm so your sweet kisses can last throughout the winter months. Try lip balms that are paraben-free and contain sunscreen, beeswax, lanolin, cocoa butter and urea or glycerin. Things to avoid in your lip balm are vitamin E, menthol, aloe butter, alcohol and fragrances. And no matter how much you try to make it so, licking them over and over won't help, it'll only make them raw, itchy and sore.
Sunshine No Mo’
If you want some Vitamin D forget about it! The sun is history once Old Man Winter comes a’knockin at your door. This is when depression can soon hit. And it often time does for most. Day in and day out the sun will refuse to grace us with its presence and that can be a bit of a downer for all. Eating foods like salmon, tuna in their oil, milk, cheese, eggs and mackerel rich in Vitamin D can help replace what winter might be taking from you. Or try getting a sunlight lamp that simulates natural sunlight. It will put you in a cheery mood and has other health benefits.
Numbness to Your What-Nots
Fingertips, toes, legs, arms, nose, ANYTHING! can be numbed by the brisk air that winter brings. It can be hard to keep all your extremities warm during winter. Make sure you have your gloves and coat on to protect your bits and pieces from freezing off. Bundling up with long johns, down coats and wearing gloves with Thinsulate can help you endure winter a bit more. It may take you an extra 10 minutes to prepare for walking out the door (another thing to hate about winter) but well worth the warmth. Also, using things like Hot Hands for the hands, feet and body can help keep you toasty during those winter months. Did you know there are also gloves out there that you can blow your breath into that can keep your hands warm?! No kidding.
Everything’s Dead
Winter can be a buzz kill because all the tulips are gone, all the grass is brown and all the trees have shed their beautiful blooms. It can sometimes add to the depression of things. But by having plants in the house it can bring the green back into your life. And plants that offer some type of blooms can sometime keep their flowering throughout winter which can make it not so bad. You can also purchase flowers from the store if you weren’t born with a green thumb.
Gray Snow
Snow is beautiful as it falls down from the sky. In the night, street lights catch it as it falls down quietly landing on street and sidewalk. Glints of snow take on the look of diamonds falling from the sky. What a beautiful sight. But as soon as day breaks the ugly truth comes out. All the cars are covered and you have to take an extra 10 minutes or so getting all that off just so your car can be usable to you. And when the cars began to hit the road all the soot and soiling from the streets combine with the snow, erasing all the beauty that was there before. Later, big scooping machines shuffle all the now dirty snow into a large gray pile of yuck. Sorry folks, got nothing here. Don't know what to do about the nasty snow. The depressing sight of it has to continue until it all melts away. All you can do is ignore it.
I wish I saw winter a bit differently but unfortunately I don’t. It can wreak havoc on your emotions and your body. And when that first sight of spring comes, the buds on the trees begin to sprout, I get giddy. The grass starts to come out of the ground, the air smells fresh and the birds begin to sing their thankful praises to the season for changing into something more suitable. I can’t wait for that day.
This was inspired by The Best Tips for Chapped Lips by Judi Bee.
