Beating the Winter Blues, Starting the New Year Right (Ep.31)

Beating the Winter Blues, Starting the New Year Right (Ep.31)

Feeling the winter blues? You are not alone. This second part of January is usually challenging for people for several reasons. But we don’t have to let the blah mood, feelings, and energy take over, and make life more difficult for ourselves. We can increase our awareness of what is happening for us, instead of being steeped in it with no light in sight. Picking up our head and bringing more consciousness to our situation allows us to tap into our resources and snap ourselves out of it.

Here are 5 reasons we are feeling the winter blues, including seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and 3 powerful ways of addressing them to elevate ourselves into new beginnings, and our New Ideal Future… 

5 Reasons for the Winter Blues

There is no shame or judgement about being afflicted by the winter blues. You might be experiencing some blahs and lack of motivation. Or you might be feeling straight up *depressed. Regardless of where you are on the spectrum, these will help you have your own back, feel better and get moving in the right direction for you and for your new future… 

*Please get professional support, individual or couple therapy to make getting on track easier – we are here for you!

Post-Holidays Lull

The Holidays are usually tough and their impact have a tendency to linger. You might have had a bit of momentum with the start of the New Year with stepping up your game to start the new year right. But soon after, any lingering and new negative feelings emerge as the accelerated pace, excitement, personal time, and availability for connection go back to normal and there is a sense of loss or let down.

Cold and Dark Winter Days

As there is a bit of hibernation, isolation, less sun light, fresh air, connection to nature, and shorter days that make it difficult to feel in the flow, bright and energized. Our circadian rhythm is off as we don’t properly align our life with sunup and sundown… And a lot of our biological systems get thrown off affecting our brain function and mood. Our mental health is impacted.

Financial Strain

Around this time is when it becomes more obvious how much the holiday season had an impact on our finances. Even if we were intentional about our spending, there might still be a part of us that feels the impact of the additional spending. 

Unfulfilled New Year’s Resolutions or Intentions

We all have the best of intentions to have our Best Year Yet, but nonetheless might be quick to fall into our usual routines, patterns, and lose sight of the changes we want to make. We let up on creating the new habits. And on addressing any frictions or obstacles to fully implementing any changes to our routines. 

Lack of Motivation

We are already feeling depleted from all the above, and additionally don’t we might not have a dream, a vision, and goals to pull us forward, inspire us and excite us. It makes sense that we’d be lost, stuck or gloomy and not feel like tackling anything.

We can experience any combination of the above to some extent. The result is having a bumpy start to the new year and feeling like we are behind the 8 ball. That we are not upleveling properly and timely for our best year yet. We might feel impostor syndrome, judgment, shame, fear, inertia at being in this place, making the whole thing even worse.

3 Empowering Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

The only thing to do is to be kind and compassionate with ourselves when we are not feeling well. To be gentle and loving, and to have our own back to get ourselves on the right track, and rocking it before we know it.  

Manage Yourself and Your Feelings

The key is to self-soothe/regulate, self-care and energize ourselves. 

Self-soothe – Use practices to manage and alleviate the feelings, change your mood, and uplevel your state: Meditation, breathing techniques, EFT, mindfulness, journaling, addressing limiting believes, cultivating joy, decreasing screen time, and focusing on things that are in our control (personal ownership and accountability).

Self-care – Aside from the above focus taking care of yourself: Proper sleep, nutrition, hydration, supplementation, exercise, personal care.  

Step up the fun and connection – Be super intentional about having positive experiences and nurturing connection: Schedule connection time with your partner and other loved ones, intentionally participate in your networks, map out and schedule or book fun experiences, play at old or new hobbies.    

Address Financial Distress

Regardless of your financial situation, the key here is to get a handle on where you are at and to make a plan to get back on track. Whether it’s to eliminate debt, replenish savings, start investing or some other goal. Of course, consider consulting a financial advisor to support you implement the right plan for you to achieve your financial goals.

Activate Your North Star

This one is my favorite. Aligning ourselves with our higher-self, our purpose, and what kind of life we want to live is the way to create that life. Identify what is your Grand Life Experience you are here to live… What is the vision, the purpose, the dream. Then identify specific goals against that vision to create it… And specific habits, tactics, and strategies to achieve them. Without a roadmap, a vehicle, and the gas you won’t get very far. This is the inspiration and motivation to propel you forward. You don’t need to depend on will power, discipline and grit. Tap into inspiration! 

If even the above feel daunting, know that it is totally fine to move at your own pace, to honor where you are, to take care of yourself, and take tiny actions on the above to get yourself moving in the right direction. And, of course, get yourself support as needed!

Wishing you clear sunny days, and an amazing New Year and New Future…

Hope this information serves you and helps you get on the path to your Successful Relationship and Meaningful Life. 

 

 

Episode Transcript

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Having a North Star ensures we stay the course on the path we desire on our Journey. It ensures we create the relationship and life we love, and have the Human Experience we desire… In this activation, we walk through a Visioning and Expansion Process to reprogram and reset for the New Year… We take a deep dive and activate the Highest Potential in 10 Life Areas to drive your reset. You get to explore your heart’s desires and identify the specific actions, tactic, or habits you’ll implement to create your New Beginnings, and your Ideal New Life… We design your ideal lifestyle you can start living immediately that’s the framework to live your Grand Life Adventure…

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Add joy and sparkle to your life by getting ready for the New Year [VIDEO]

Add joy and sparkle to your life by getting ready for the New Year [VIDEO]

As the end-of-year brings with it so many demands, expectations, and an already overwhelmed, stretched, and tired self, it’s time we have our own back to make it easier on ourselves… What if we start closing down shop for the year… This might seem impossible with all the things to do for the holidays and personal and professional projects to wrap-up. But that’s just it, what if we draw a line on the sand and decide how much more we are willing to do and not to do. And, how about building in the things that give us more joy?

I use our signature End-of-Year & New-Year Planning (ENP) Process to help me stay focused and intentionally go about this so I feel empowered, at ease, and joyful as I put a bow on the year and align myself for the new one…

This process evolved overtime, where I added three more steps to our already powerful process, that just brings this whole exercise to a whole new level. I’m particularly proud of STEP4 that is all about including the fun, joy, and the richness to our life… This is where the sparkle resides! 

How about taking a sneak peek at that step to generate more joy and sparkle starting now? Why wait for the New Year? You can better have your own back as the season reaches its peak, and setting yourself up to glide into the New Year… These practices do wonders for generating energy, vitality, and wellness. This is one way to start getting ahead of the winter blues, and all while you make the rest of the holiday season even better.  

And today’s video further enhances the process by applying it to planning for a Lifetime of Love! 

Here is wishing you an amazing end-of-year and a better upcoming year!

 

 

Watch our previous Theme Videos Series Podcast Episodes on our YouTube channel

Get this FREE End-Of-Year & New-Year Planning™ (ENP) Process…

 

Wishing you all the joy, connection and love today and always…

With Much Love & Light!

 

PS: Related Articles
Numbing for coping with stress specially during the holidays…
Holidays thoughts stressing you out?
Having a letting go practice for lightness and joy
Uplevel your holidays with enriching traditions
What would you like to have more of in the New Year?
Blast the winter blues with more love
Are you achieving your relationship goals?

 

PSS: Do you need support taking yourself, your relationship, and your life to the next level- actually living a healthy, happy, harmonious and overall abundant life?

Interested in Couple Therapy, Marriage Counseling, Relationship Coaching, Individual Therapy or Support Sessions?

We can help with our private and group memberships:
Sessions Membership

Lifestyle Membership

 

Look forward to seeing you inside!

 

   Copyright (c) 2023 Emma K. Viglucci. All rights reserved.

 

Want to Use this Article in Your Own Website or Publication?
Be our guest! Here is how, you MUST include:
Emma K. Viglucci, LMFT is the Founder and Director of Metropolitan Marriage & Family Therapy, PLLC, a private practice that specializes in working with couples, she is the creator of the MetroRelationship™ philosophy and the Successful Couple Strategy™ that assist couples succeed at their relationship and their life. Stay Connected™
with Emma and receive weekly connection notes in your inbox with Personal Development and Relationship Enrichment insights and strategies, visit: www.metrorelationship.com

How to get over winter blahs

How to get over winter blahs

I like to get into Spring Mode early to extend the warmer seasons as much as possible… It’s harder to do when the weather wants to continue to show its winter colors though. LOL But it’s nothing that a Spring Bucket List can’t fix! Are you with me? Let’s leave winter behind regardless of what is happening out there.

I did some research on Spring Bucket Lists to prepare for this issue and found most of them a little basic and dull. I think you and I can create our own much better list. Are you up for it?

I created a Bucket List Design Process™ for this purpose. Note, the mere exercise of doing this is super empowering, recharging, motivating, inspiring, exciting and just plain FUN. Give it a go!!

Use the structure listed below to come up with things you want to do, accomplish, or experience in each area. You can play with all 10 areas, coming up with 5 things for each, or you can choose to focus on specific areas as you like, with the idea of ending up with your Spring Bucket List: 50 Ways of Living Life to the Fullest this Spring

Here is the list structure with areas to cover to help you create an amazing list, with a couple of examples for each:

1.Personal Physical – health, fitness, grooming and pampering, appearance and look, personal brand, treatments, healthy habits

  • Expand your skin care routine
  • Do a detox

2.Wellness – self-care routines, wellness and success habits, personal development practices or focus, treatments, supportive resources, tools and techniques

  • Start a Partner Appreciations Journal™…
  • Join or start a Personal Development Master Mind Group™

3.Relational and Social – activities, outings, entertaining, experiences, adventures, service, joint project, hobby, or interest, connection habits, relationship enrichment behaviors, celebrating

  • Subscribe to Blue Apron to cook original nutritious recipes together
  • Commit to Saturdays Date Night

4.Home and Other Indoor Spaces – decluttering and organization, making functional, refreshing, beautifying

  • Marie Kondo Your Home… (keep only things that Spark Joy!)
  • Commit to Fresh Flowers Fridays™

5.Outdoor Spaces – yard, functional structures, activities structures, variety of gardens, fun nooks, special touches, experiences

  • Plant a fruit tree
  • Create a Yard Labyrinth

6.Indulgences – baking and other treats, aromas and scents, experiences, getting that little something that’s been on your wish list

  • Bake lemon treats
  • Start / expand your aromatherapy oils collection

7.With the Kids – crafts, their rooms, activities, outings, experiences, service, new skill, new hobby, new interest, new life skill

  • Visit an arboretum
  • Build a bird house

8.Creative – writing of any kind including music, painting, drawing, designing, decorating, dancing, creating, inventing, photographing, crafting, singing

  • Write a collection of poems
  • Photograph the blooming season

9.Philanthropical – add charities to your repertoire, help plan an upcoming Gala, help in local fundraisers, contribute to a charitable endeavor, donate your time to your population of choice, start a cause

  • Sign up to read to children at afterschool programs or hospitals
  • Volunteer to be a Mentor at your local High School

10.Nature/Seasonal/Different – visiting beautiful locations, being with animals, doing outdoor activities, playing outdoors, being outdoors, outdoor sports, exploring and witnessing nature

Just writing this was energizing and fun! Juices flowing, so inspired… Yay! It’s your turn, brainstorm ideas to recharge, motivate, move forward, have fun, and enjoy the season. Inspire yourself and Spring Forward!

Remember to complete the MetroRelationsip™ Assignment below to help you effortlessly implement this, make changes and immediately start creating your Successful Relationship and Meaningful Life…

Share your experience by leaving a comment below! 

Happy Springing!

 

 

~ Your MetroRelationship™ Assignment  

Create your Spring Bucket List. Select a batch of items from your list you want to enjoy first. Start planning out how to make them happen.

Keep doing the same for the rest. The goal is not to stress out to have them all done, but to enjoy the process and doing as many as you like.

This is an exercise for stimulation, inspiration and enjoyment!

Add this to your Tool Kit…

 

   Copyright (c) 2019 Emma K. Viglucci. All rights reserved.

 

Want to Use this Article in Your Own Website or Publication? 

Be our guest! Here is how, you MUST include: 
Emma K. Viglucci, LMFT is the Founder and Director of Metropolitan Marriage & Family Therapy, PLLC, a private practice that specializes in working with couples, she is the creator of the MetroRelationship philosophy and a variety of Successful Couple content that assist couples succeed at their relationship and their life. Stay Connected™ with Emma and receive weekly Connection Notes in your inbox with Personal Growth and Relationship Enrichment insights and strategies, visit: www.metrorelationship.com

 

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