Are you looking to lighten your mood when it’s dark outside during the winter? It might seem daunting, but you can! Read on for my best tips!
I’m still relatively new to winter. Growing up in Florida, it wasn’t really a thing I ever experienced. Winter just meant maybe I’d have to wear long pants one day a week and it didn’t rain at approximately 5:00 p.m. every day. But now that I live in a location that definitely has winter, I’m catching onto the good and bad things about this strange new season.
The hardest aspect of winter, for me, is the extra darkness. Especially because I grew up in a place that is known for its sunshine, the decided lack of sunshine in winter really gets to me. I’m not going to go so far as to diagnose myself with seasonal affective disorder, but I definitely have to work at being in a good mood during the winter. It’s just hard to feel light or that long. when it’s dark all the time.
But I don’t want to succumb to the darkness for months on end. It isn’t pleasant to be in a bad mood for that long. So, here are the things that I’ve found that work to lighten your mood when it’s dark outside. They aren’t hard to do, I promise.
How to Lighten Your Mood When It’s Dark Outside
Light
I’m going to start off with a bit of a no-brainer way to lighten your mood when it’s dark outside: take advantage of the light when you can. This can run the gamut from a small change of opening the curtains every morning to allow whatever light there is to come into the house to going for a walk outside when the suns shows its face. Heck, if all else fails, buy a SAD lamp. Just soak up whatever light you can when light is at a premium in the winter. Your mood, your complexion, and your Vitamin D levels will thank you.
Food
Perhaps a less obvious way to lighten your mood when it’s dark outside is to lighten your food. It’s easy to eat heavy, rich meals in the winter. They are supremely satisfying and they warm you up from the inside when it’s downright cold outside. But sometimes all that heavy food can drag down your mood too. When you can, add in some lighter food that will hopefully lift your mood. Anything will citrus should give you the effect that you desire. A lemon chicken soup should check off all the right boxes. It’s warm and hearty, but also light and bright!
Exercise
I have found that endorphins really help to lighten your mood when it’s dark outside. What’s the best way to get those endorphins flowing through you? Exercise of course! Take a brisk walk or run either indoors or outdoors, sign up for an exercise class (there is a dance-based cardio class at my local Rec Center that I’m eyeing up), or even just have a dance party in your living room with your kids. However you can, get your body moving! You’ll feel better, I promise.
Routine
I am a lover of routines. Sometimes, my adherence to routines bites me in the behind, but other times, I’m glad to be a creature of habit. No time of the year do I love my routines more than in the dark, cold winter. I’ve really found that sticking to a routine helps my body know what to expect next, so the extra darkness isn’t as startling. And it helps my kids to have better moods in the winter when they’re mostly stuck inside too. Maybe we’ll call that a bonus tip – lighten your mood when it’s dark outside by making sure your kids are in good moods! That might be the ultimate game-changer.
Indoor activities
Just because it is darker outside for more of the day in the winter doesn’t mean you have to be stuck at home staring at the wall all day every day. You can still do activities, just maybe embrace indoor activities. Now is the time to really lean into your hobbies. Pick up a new book (I’m flying through Lucy Score’s Maggie Moves On), pick up that craft project you abandoned before the holidays, watch a movie you’ve been waiting to see, cook a new recipe. You still have options you can do to have fun while you’re largely stuck inside!
If you have little kids, I highly recommend scouting out indoor activities that you can do with your kids. They get super stir crazy when they have unstructured time in the house. They get very cranky and my basement gets absolutely ruined. To avoid these negative consequences, have indoor activities planned and a few unplanned indoor activities in your back pocket for times you need them. My son is playing hockey, my daughter is taking ice skating lessons, and we are flitting here, there, and everywhere when they aren’t in their scheduled activities. Would you like a list of these unscheduled indoor activities to do when it’s cold and dark outside? Let me know!
Atmosphere
Even if you’re embracing indoor activities, you’re still probably going to spend a fair amount of time at home. So, instead of resenting your extra time at home, do a little extra work to set the atmosphere at home that will make you enjoy your home.
Lights
Overhead lights are great when you need to see clearly, but they’re not the greatest for setting a cozy atmosphere. Lean into lamplight, repurpose your Christmas lights and string just the lights around your living space, light a candle if that’s your jam.
Fire
If you live in a place that gets cold in the winter and you have a fireplace, don’t let the fireplace go to waste! I know it’s a pain in the butt to light a fire if you have a wood burning fireplace, but it’s worth the atmosphere bump if you’re staying home for a chunk of time. If you have a gas fireplace, you’re in luck – it’s super easy to set that cozy atmosphere at the click of a button! We just recently switched our fireplace from wood to gas and it has been such a great upgrade. If you’re thinking of making the switch and it’s in your budget, do it!
Blanket
A nice, cozy blanket to curl up with on the couch when it’s cold can really lighten your mood when it’s dark outside. I’m sure you have a blanket you can use, whether it’s an old favorite or a new blanket you got for the holidays. I have a cozy blanket in my spot on the couch that I’ve used almost every single day since I was in college. It isn’t much to look at anymore, but it’s my ultimate comfort item.
Music
Part of setting the right atmosphere to lighten your mood when it’s dark outside is to get some music playing! During the holiday season, you probably had Christmas music going more often than not when you were at home. That probably made you feel festive and light. Just because the holidays are over doesn’t mean the music has to stop! Maybe just switch the holiday jams out for whatever genre of music tickles your toes. My kids are loving Alex Warren lately, and I’m always up for some classic rock. Get your toes tapping and lift your spirits!
Connection
I have saved my best tip to lighten your mood when it’s dark outside for the end. The best way to lift your spirits is to have real human connection. Perhaps I’m biased because connection is my word of the year, but I really feel like we all need more connection. It can be a quick call or text to your mom or best friend, a walk across the street to have an after bedtime drink with your neighbor, a planned meet-up with your mom friends, or a get-together you host for some segment of your social circle. All of these connections serve a great purpose, make them however you can wedge them into your life!
Other posts
This post doesn’t really fit into a defined category, so I’ll share some other one-off posts that I hope are helpful:
So, what are you going to do to lighten your mood when it’s dark outside? Share your thoughts below or over on Instagram @sarainseason!