Darker. Colder. Shorter days; longer nights. Cabin “fever”, hibernation…..how do people cope with the winter “blues” or Seasonal Affective Disorder?….all kinds of ways! Hygge is the Danish word for “creating a warm atmosphere and imagining the good things in life with people” or as I like to refer to it as “winter rituals”. My friend shared a great article with me about Hygge (link below) pronounced “hooga” and “higga”.

Other than the usual ways people celebrate the winter season, I asked people for unique ideas and rituals that make them either look forward to the season or cope with it. Here are some responses:

play Christmas carols on the piano a little bit every day to tickle the ivories again and practice your piano skills. Invite little kids over to  sing carols with you in preparation for Christmas dinner with the family.

exercise in new winter outerwear . Fast walking and talking with a friend helps the cold walk seem faster. Then, we retreat back into our warm homes looking forward to the fireplace.

wearing vintage fur hats to warm up in the house—may seem crazy but it definitely warms you up. Old homes are known for being cold and drafty.

many people edit their closets, pair outfits, accessorize them , make a dry cleaning pile and a donation pile. Edit and purge!

get out holiday books and read them to any young visitors who come over. They stay useful that way.

volunteer to organize your church’s Sunday School program (Xmas pageant, etc). This helps relieve teachers and directors from having to do it. It’s a nice way to thank them for their year round teaching, too.

invite a little kid or kids to come jump with you in your pile of leaves. Ecstasy!! take big, long, running jumps!

wear colorful scarves to brighten things up! Covering up the extremities–head, feet, neck, etc….really does warm you up! Long Johns help with this, too! Scarves feel better around your neck than metal necklaces which feel cold.

get out at daytime so night is not so bad. Run errands and don’t hibernate all day.

taking hot bubblebaths not only relaxes you but it’s a good way to catch up on reading and/or listening to favorite tunes. Plus, you’ll sleep like a log.

play more Scrabble with spouses or family members

get Christmas blend coffee to mix things up. The red bag on your counter is so festive, too. Just another reminder of the holidays.

ditto with the red container of Williams-Sonoma Hot Chocolate. Making homemade hot chocolate for guests is a treat!

Candles in every room. The tiny size of winter scented candle samplers is a fun way to go from room to room and light different ones depending on your mood. NEST candles has a great sampler!

Have Pumpkin pancake mixes and batters and sauces handy that we purchased at the July Porter Peach Festival…make them (with your kids!) when your college kids come home on Fall Break, Thanksgiving Break and Christmas Break.

Drink hot tea at midday to stave off wine o’ clock which might put you into bed too early. (dehydrates you too and causes under eye puffiness the next day) But we love wine!!!

enjoy the Christmas lights around town. Run errands at night just to enjoy the lights.

spend time at Philbrook Museum to absorb all the holiday beauty.

binge watch DVDs or Netflix.

put out winter decor (not just Christmas decor) so it’s not as anti-climactic when you take the Christmas decorations down.

increase water and vitamin intake to combat salty foods and cocktails.

use your treadmill while  you watch TV or read. Save the treadmill for winter and enjoy the outside the other three seasons.

change out pillows and throws.….use holiday themed ones.

make mulling spices or buy them.

cook stews and soups

bake bread

host a hot cocoa stand and give the proceeds to charity

entertain more often--simple or grand. whether it’s coffee & coffee cake or a new recipe.

“Arting”— one friend says she does more art during this time. Pinot’s Palette, etc…

find restaurants with fireplaces

add photos to your computer

organize for tax season

invite friends over to get them out of their “hibernation caves”. A little company here and there also makes you forget about the winter doldrums.

http://hyggehouse.com/hygge

http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/wellbeing/6-ways-to-embrace-hygge-the-danish-secret-to-staying-happy-during-winter?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=realsimple.com&xid=soc_socialflow_facebook_realsimple

http://www.chopra.com/articles/5-ways-to-build-mental-stamina-over-the-holidays

see “Winter Coping Rituals…..Hygge” on this blog for Part 2 to this article.