January 24 - 5 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

Day 24 - Your favorite places or things to do in the winter

"Tis the season to be jolly" is over. "Tis the season to be melancholic" has officially come.

Do you feel gloomy and nasty like the weather around you?

Do you have trouble waking up in the mornings?

Do you feel less sociable declining invitations just to stay at home?

Do you keep on nibbling chips and crackers while sitting comfortably next to the heater or the fireplace?

You must be suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

 You can't help it, no matter how hard you try. You can't help the "Winter Blues".
The Christmas festivities and vacations are behind. You are back to work and your routine days just make you feel grumpy. 
Dark mornings, even darker evenings, the cold dull days may leave you more irritable and less energized.

Despite being an introvert and a rain lover, I am someone who also feels blue after the Christmas holidays.

How to beat the winter blues and ease the seasonal sadness when you are an introvert? 

I want to share with my 5 ways to beat the winter blues.

Hopefully, you will find them useful too.

1. Stay in the light

Light helps regulate the natural rhythms of our body and mind and a decrease in sunlight can cause a drop in serotonin and Vitamin D levels thus leading to depressive symptoms.
Even if you don't feel like going outside for a walk, make sure you get some sunlight during the day in the terrace, balcony or by sitting by the bright window if the weather allows. 
Just grab your coffee or book and help yourself by the sunny spot in your house. 15 to 30 minutes of daily sun exposure can make a difference.

2. Eat smarter

It's normal to crave for sweets and junk food on festive days and the following cold days. You want nothing but snuggle under a blanket and nibble sweets or chips. If you can't resist this feeling, at least make smart choices: try low fat or no sugar alternatives to avoid extra calories. Go for dark chocolate which is proven to boost your mood and alleviate anxiety.

3. Stay active

You don't have to join a gym to stay active over winter. Go out to your terrace or balcony and jump a rope or hula hoop. These exercises always lift me up as they also take me back to my cheerful childhood years.
Combine exercise with some music. Research shows that listening to some upbeat and cheery music can significantly improve your mood and energize.

4. Stay connected

You hate taking off your pajamas during the weekends and you naturally feel inclined to reject any invitation to go out. But what if you throw a small gathering at your place?
Plan an event with your close friends, something like a pajama party, cheese and wine or a board game night.
Pay attention to invite only those ones who are really intimate and will not stress you out with their presence.

5. Plan a vacation

Isn't it high time you started planning and saving for your dream vacation? You can even benefit from the winter sales for your trip. Looking forward to your next getaway can keep you excited and anxious for a long time. 

Other cozy things that I love doing

. grab your popcorn and watch funny family movies

. warm yourself up with some homemade soups

. get busy with some indoor activities that bring pleasure like knitting, treating yourself with online shopping 

. dive into some course or book you never found the right time for.

This post was inspired by the January Mind, Body and Writing Challenge hosted by Linda Jean from Witte's World Blog.

January 8 - 5 Ways to Take Care of Yourself

Day 8 - Write a list of 5 ways you can take care of yourself.

No one before marriage really imagines what the life of a mother is.

There will be days when you will not have a single look at yourself in the mirror.

There will be days when you will wake up and go to bed in your pajamas.

There will be Mondays when you will be happy to go back to work after the crazy weekend.

You only realize how important it is to take care of yourself when you start having physical and mental health issues. Fatigue, lack of sleep, mundane and never-ending housework, nervous breakdowns with kids tantrums and crying fits can lead to panic attacks and anxiety. It is only then that you realize that self-care is not a synonym for selfishness and egoism. It is a way to survive, to be there for your family. 

Self-care is one of my goals for 2019 and this is how I am going to work on it.

Here are 5 ways to take better care of myself

1- Self-Time

As an introvert, I am someone who is in desperate need for some "ME" time on a daily basis. It is usually the quiet time I enjoy with my coffee after the kids are in bed. It is the time I spend on social media planning and writing my blog posts and connecting with other bloggers.
During the daytime when I feel overwhelmed by too much noise I again pull myself away for a short break to read a book, to journal or just enjoy the silence.

2- Connect with others

Alone time is very essential but from time to time, once every two weeks I feel the need to go out without kids - maybe a girls night, a coffee meeting, visiting an exhibition or just doing some weekend shopping.

3- Sleep

Did you know that lack of sleep leads to weight gain, affects your memory and brain, causes depression, weakens your immunity and damages your skin? 
So you'd better put it a priority to get a good night's sleep every day.

4- Exercise

It's not compulsory to go to the gym in order to exercise. Just turn on fun and dynamic exercise videos on YouTube and keep moving. The videos can be as short as 3 minutes but very effective. You can also try the plank exercise to keep your whole body fit. Whenever possible, take the stairs and purchase a step calculator watch to keep track of your daily steps.




5- Eat Healthy

Eating healthy should not be a temporary diet. It should start by adopting healthy habits. Start with baby steps. 

Replace white sugar with brown cane sugar, white flour with wholewheat flour. Then exclude sodas (just read the packaging to find out all the artificial ingredients). Drink more water, eat more raw and frozen fruits and vegetables, less canned and processed food. 

Take some vitamins if necessary, Omega 3 or a Complex Multivitamins. They are good supplements for your skin, hair and your nervous system.


This post was inspired by The January Mind, Body and Writing Challenge hosted by Linda Jean from Witte's World Blog.

December 20 - 8 Things to Do to Live a Life without Regrets

Day 20 - Write a letter to yourself about something you regretted about 2018


As the year is drawing to an end, we tend to look ahead and make decisions and resolutions for the upcoming year trying to make some changes or improve something.

I am usually someone who rarely regrets.

Once done, done, you cannot turn back the time.

I am usually aware of the decisions I make. If I chose something in the past, it was the right choice for me at that tine and no need to regret not having it done differently.

But what if I get 10 years in the future and have a look back at my life?

Will I be proud of my life and my decisions or I will regret some things?

Dear Myself,

8 Things You Can Do to Live a Life without Regrets

 1- Show your real feelings to people you love...

(have the courage to express your feelings, always keep in touch with your family and true friends)

2 - Don't care too much on what other people think 

(just live a life true to yourself, not the one others expect of you)

3- Stop procrastinating and follow your passions 

(stop taking too much time on deciding to learn a new skill)

4 - Spend quality time with your loved ones 

(don't get stuck in your daily routines, always make time for your dear ones)

5 - Travel more

(the world is too big to always stay in your comfort zone)

6 - Live in the present and enjoy it 

(stop holding tightly on the past, let go your fears and failures and be happier)

7 - Don't spend too much time worrying on little things 

(cleaning, kids mess, traffic...worrying changes nothing except your health and mental state)

and finally

8 - Take better care of yourself

(nurture your body and soul for if you don't care for yourself, no one will)

This post was inspired by the 31-Day Blog Challenge hosted by Linda Jean from Witte's World Blog.