How to Battle Canadian Winter Blues

Every winter is different and some can drag on and on for months, while others can be quite, mild and livable. This year the lake has about 1.5 feet of ice, so… it’s been a long one. Here’s how I’ve been desperately staving off seasonal depression from settling in, since it’s not possible for me to spend the winters down south.

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Resist the Winter Blues

Quick reference:

• Get good sleep
• Get fresh air and daylight
• Exercise
• Choose fresh foods
• Supplement
• Hydration
• Creating
• Embrace the Darkness
• Eat out + spend gift cards
• Fondue
• Find a winter activity
• Make Spring plans
• Mark daylight savings on the calendar
• Final Thoughts

Sleep

I’m averaging about 7 hr 55 minutes of sleep per night. That might sound like a lot for some people, but I need it. Tips on getting good sleep:

Get in bed early. We tend to make our way to a dimly lit boudoir shortly after the kids go to bed. We will cuddle up, chat or watch a show until we’re sleepy and then… pass out. Some will say this is not good sleep hygiene but, it keeps me entertained and out of the kitchen late at night (eating/drinking late reduces my quality of sleep, too), and allows me to flop over when I’m tired enough to go to sleep. If you want go a step further, craft a soothing nighttime routine like you might for your kids: music, a warm bath and book.

Avoid screens. I know I just said I watch a show but I do until I don’t, and just listen. I also watch a TV from far away and we keep it “light” in the evenings. No news or murder mysteries. When I am at the computer, or scrolling in the phone, I’ve noticed my brain just does NOT want to settle down. TV is different. I imagine it could have something to do with proximity of the blue light.

Don’t snack after supper. I eat until full at all meals which helps me to avoid mindless snacking in between. When I eat and then sit/laze for the evening, I have a lighter sleep. When I eat close to bedtime (late night nachos are my weakness), I have a noticeably terrible sleep: I toss and turn, discomfort, heartburn, light rest, low heart rate variability, thirsty in the morning… you name it.

No alcohol: Booooring. But it’s a good rule in the winter time because alcohol will add to a depressive cycle you’re trying to fight against. I fall asleep after a drink or two but I do not stay in a state of deep rest like I should in those early hours. My heart rate variability tanks as well, meaning, my nervous system is on high alert, monitoring my automatic processes, which is why we don’t get great rest under the influence.

Exercise and daylight early in the day: more on that later.

Daylight and Fresh Air

Getting daylight into your retinas early in the morning will help regulate your circadian rhythm. Even just a few minutes of unfiltered UV light is enough to trigger hormone cascades that give you energy for the day.

The air in our homes gets so stagnant during the winter. It is full of toxins: synthetic fibres, chemicals, dust and dander, etc. Getting outdoors, or at least, opening the windows, refreshes the air and is reenergizing. You might consider circulating the air with a purifier if opening the windows is an absolute “no”.

All this, in turn, helps the timing of the release of your “gear down” hormones later in the day, encouraging deep rest states.

Exercise

I’ve been bad at this one. When my mood is low, I do not want to exercise. At all. No. How do I force myself to exercise when I just don’t feel like it?

Walking. Walk whenever possible because it really is a cash cow for previous points I’ve made. It’s generally low effort, but high value, especially when you get outdoors. If it’s -20 degrees or we just had two feet of snow and the trails are not in walking condition, I try to at least hop on the treadmill for 20 minutes, or do a stretch/yoga routine on my favorite [FREE] workout app, FitOn.

Workout Apps: I once heard the notion: all it takes is putting your shoes on. That’s half the battle. And I find it to be true. If I can just get dressed to work out, I tend to do more than I set out to do. But I give myself permission to quit whenever I want. I just have to START. It usually trends upward from there. I’ll feel a little energy coming back and am happy to continue on, or as I build my strength, I am happy to try a new/harder workout next day.

FitOn: I won’t work out in the gym because of the contracts, the effort required get there, and I often feel watched or judged on my way in the door. It could be in my head but if it causes a barrier to working out, I won’t bother. FitOn is the ultimate workout App. I love that it is free and accessible to anyone. You just need your body and an internet connection. It doesn’t matter if you need beginner, post-natal, rehab, or strength, hiit, and advanced routines, they have everything. The trainers are totally engaging and personable as well. There is a pro version which opens more functions of the app but the core offering is free to everyone on a device. I love it.

Wear a watch. I am concerned about EMF radiation from all the sources in our home. I figure an impactful thing I can do to reduce exposure is wear my watch less. But, because of the data freak that I am, I find actually NEED my watch these days in order to be motivated to move. Winter is a time I have to force myself into movement because the natural tendencies to be outdoors and be on the go are just not there. There are pros and cons to the different watches. I’ve owned a FitBit and Apple Watch. I like both for different reasons. My son (runner) has tried some others. I will do a pros and cons post for the watches and share a potentially life-saving experience we had because of fitness watch data.

Follow fitness influencers and wellness doctors. Imagine logging on social and being bombarded with inspiring health information rather than the cheap, trendy content that’s usually there. I love diving into the science behind movement and longevity. I like to listen to podcasts like Diary of a CEO and Dr. Huberman Lab who feature amazing experts that ask fantastic questions, and break complex concepts down in digestible ways. These always inspire me to live better, and explore even deeper.

Fresh Foods + Supplements

We shop mostly at Costco. It’s just most cost effective. As someone who has been following a lower carb diet, we shop the perimeter of the store for the most part and avoid the snack isles. Our order includes items like:

What I find is the more I avoid any ultra-processed foods, the better my mental health, especially after 7-10 days of abstaining. This feeling is so obvious and evident, I encourage you to try it for a 2-week challenge (not medical advice). If it’s safe for you, avoid all processed sugar and manufactured food for two weeks and tell me how amazing you feel (warning: you’ll feel a little worse for the first few days. Hang in!). Then treat yourself and notice the profound effects the bowl of ice cream or pizza had on your mental health. For me, it’s entirely obvious.

If you try it, let me know. I’d love to hear about your experience!

Supplements. This is not something I’d advise anyone about as I am learning more about it myself, however, I have noticed that taking Vitamin D3 , Vitamin C and B12, along with some Zinc and Magnesium have seen me through the winter with no colds or sickness! I take these specifically to enhance my mood and brain health but they help with immunity as well. I take others such as Omega, Iron and Biotin. I also swear by ColdFX! When I spoke to my pharmacist friend about it, they said how they also believe it works well when taken regularly throughout the winter.

Supplements are so personal and rely heavily on your diet and any contraindications you might have but I recommend researching, assessing your diet, and considering what might be missing from your stack that has potential to help your mental and physical health over the winter. If you have access to a medical professional that can help you assess, even better! Sadly, many of us in Canada do not have access to a family Dr. though and you will have to make careful decisions on your own.

Hydration

This one is funny because we all know we need to drink more water. But most of us don’t. If you knew the science behind it, you might, though! Water is our lifesource. All our cells require it. Especially our brains. When we are feeling low, sluggish or foggy, we often assume we need more caffeine or sleep, when what we really need is water. Aim for an improvement. If you can get to 8 glasses a day, amazing! Try to focus on hydrating first thing in the morning, and middle of the afternoon.

Creating

When I’m feeling low, I can spend waaaay too much time in my left brain. I’ve been trying to engage more of the right side with creative projects to keep me busy and off of platforms that seem to suffocate my soul. I’ve been coordinating new outfits, watercolor painting, creating videos, editing for others, photographing concepts, building this blog, writing, trip planning and randomly cooking and baking healthy options for my family since we’re getting bored of food here lately. Whatever gives you joy, go create more of it.

Embrace the Darkness

We know when the dark days and nights are coming and resist. Other cultures embrace it! This year, I bought some fun lighting to lean on and make the environment feel more fun or cozy, depending on the mood. Govee bar lights have been amazing for creating a fun atmosphere for a bed-jumping party or adding fill light to a cozy reading corner. Explore lighting ideas to make your space more practical for indoor activities or to add energy to your home.

The whole line of Govee products that we have tried so far is incredibly user friendly and convenient. We have ours connected to Alexa and can just say “Alexa, turn off the lights” from bed. The Govee app is awesome for setting the color schemes and themes. I love the slow and soft fade of colors. But there are also lovely stationery lighting effects, including daylight and warm light. These lights are so versatile for their ability to brighten and dim the room as well. We have a couple sets of bar lights along the backside of a shelving unit that Jas uses for a video backdrop. They give a much more professional lighting look to the video. I highly recommend Govee smart light products! Keep your eye out because they often go on sale, or include coupons on the product page of Amazon.

Eating Out + Shopping

Save those Christmas gift cards for the dead of winter when you’re desperate to get out of the house and need a change of scenery. If you live in a town like mine, there’s not much to do indoors in the winter. Eating out gets you around people again, in a high-energy atmosphere, and enjoying something you don’t normally get at home. It just feels good. If you’ve been taking care of yourself at home, this might be a time to even the scales a bit and treat yourself.

We like to hit Diane’s Fish Shack and Steakhouse, The Loyal Oarsman, Bella Bistro among others, all gifted by our generous relatives. These spots always have great energy, the most personable staff and excellent food.

Spending the afternoon out and about shopping or grabbing a movie can inject a little brightness into your life as well. Cineplex Odeon brought back popcorn refills, by the way 😉 ! If you’ve got gift cards burning a hole in your jewellery box, now might be the time to spend them.

Space out the outings so you have more to look forward to throughout the winter.

Fondue

Yup. Instead of eating out, eat in and socialize with a fondue party. We got a fondue set for Christmas from my in-laws and have had two “sittings”. I say that because it takes us hours and hours to cook, chat and eat our food. You can do something similar with a table-top griddle instead. We will dim the lights, light some candles, turn on a funky playlist and even bust out a word game like Family Feud (we own this one) for a good laugh while we’re at it.

Even if you skip the fondue, push yourself to socialize over a good meal once a month or so.

Find a Winter Activity

We spend a ridiculous amount of time trying to maintain a lake rink during the winter. It requires careful forecast monitoring and continuous maintenance, even when conditions are no good for skating because maybe in a week or two it will be. Clinging on to a winter activity helps preoccupy your mind, time and forces you to get the daylight, fresh air and activity we’ve been talking about. Maybe you live somewhere flat like me, and need to focus on snowshoeing or cross country skiing. Searching for hidden hills for sledding, exploring your festively lit downtown, or taking up winter photography might be an option for you if downhill skiing or ice climbing is out. Instead of wishing the time away, we’ve got to find ways to make the best of it and make a memory or two. Every day is worth living.

Make Spring Plans

Instead of doom scrolling and sulking, look forward to the glimmers of spring. It all starts with noticing that darkness doesn’t fall until 5:30pm now! Days only get longer from here, and faster. Ideas for looking forward:

Plant seeds. A bulb was given to me as a gift for Christmas. It came in a box with a couple holes in it, and a pot to plant it in. We set it aside and meant to plant it but it got forgotten. The plant began to grow on it’s own and busted through the air holes of the box. It is now in full bloom and it’s only March! That spirit of beauty and life is uplifting when the lousy smarch weather hits. In the past, we’ve started seed gardens. You can get and reuse little greenhouse containers and seeds from any garden center, dollar store or amazon.

Save for a summer hobby. Maybe you’ve been meaning to try kayaking or supping. Do your research now and watch for early sales (Tip: Costco has had a May sale on Kayaks every year in the past!). Keep your eye on the prize and reward yourself when the time, and weather, is right. Or join a boat and board club. Get ready for opening day! Other ideas: wind surfing, kayaking, hiking, climbing, cycling, provincial parks, photography, gardening, social sports.

Join a running club. Registration for clubs and sports happen weeks or months in advance of the start date. Start exploring what clubs exist and are preparing to begin spring training!

Plan a trip. What gorgeous content has caught your attention over the winter on social media? What do you miss most about last summer? Make a plan to visit some place new, even if it’s just outside of town, this spring. If it is in the budget, plan a further getaway over shoulder season! You might get a great deal or maybe you can use some points! Ideas: hikes, festivals like Ottawa’s Canadian Tulip Festival, hunt for blossoms, provincial or national parks, whale watching.

Plan your summer. Campsites and tourist attractions book out early and so you can use your indoor time this winter to plan your routes and stops for your summer travels. Maybe there’s a patio hop you’d like to do in your own town, if you’re not planning to travel. Think about the possibilities and make a moodboard to plan! Other ideas: beach, new trails, provincial and national parks, family visits, day trips for kite flying, ziplining, zoo, museums, be a tourist in your own town.

Having something to look forward to is an obvious mood booster, and planning makes it feel real and rewarding in the end.

Mark Daylight Savings on the Calendar

And set reminders weeks in advance. We lose track of time and feel like winter will never end. Reminding ourselves that although it feels long, it’s just a season like any other and it WILL END! For me, winter is over when I get my evenings back. I cannot wait for daylight savings time again!! I got so excited when I got my reminder last week. The second Sunday in March might as well be my birthday!

Final Thoughts

These are the strategies I’m using to keep sane during this long and messy winter we’re having. Luckily, Spring is just around the corner but really, it cannot come soon enough. I hope you got some ideas to help turn the dim dampness of winter into a brighter and warmer time. I am far from perfect at executing these strategies but I can attest they doooo help if you’re susceptible to mood and energy disruption in the winter.

What strategies have you tried to battle the winter blues? Do you have others that you lean on to make winter more enjoyable? Are there any topics here you’d like to dig in on here?

Share them with us in the comments!