Advice for frosty times

Winter has graced our campus. With the first snow, our cheeks grow rosier, our glasses get foggier and we bundle up to brave the whipping winds.

Everything feels so crisp and new outside with a thick layer of white, and this icy wonderland brings tidings of joy and festivities that we visit every year.

I know I’ve already fallen into my yearly, personal tradition: a good, old-fashioned case of cold-weather melancholia.

Just a few days after the giddiness of the first snowfall, I started to feel that awful weight that comes with the lethargy of the winter, the unearthing of unpleasant holiday memories and perhaps the dread of a new year holding more resolutions for breaking.

Yes, with snowmen, chestnuts roasting and Jack Frost taking a nibble on your schnoz, many succumb to seasonal affective disorder (or its endearing acronym, SAD), which chills the hearts of an estimated 10 million Americans every year, as well as an additional 20 percent of the population who show symptoms of the wintertime blues.

It completely snuck up on me, as I had, of course, forgotten about it since last year and did not anticipate the dangerous mood swings, the pull to isolation and the perpetually glum expression worn until bed.

Those of you who share this cold season crestfallenness may have started slipping into it already. Some only have it for a few weeks, and others such as myself can carry it until February, but no matter how long it stays, we know the effects are anything but jolly.

If you are like me, you know that this phenomenon is slightly incurable. You don’t have to be diagnosed to know that this frigid, forlorn feeling sticks with you like frost on a window.

I could sit here and type out provisional pick-me-ups and fleeting words of inspiration, but there is no all-encompassing solution.

I offer a small remedy that you might take as passively as you want, but I found these few things to momentarily scoop me out of the wintry doldrums this week.

When you are SAD, it is important to surround yourself with people, preferably with people who bring out your best. Extra points if they make you laugh. Make sure whoever you are hanging out with will have the ability to distract you beyond all reason until you forget what time it is or why you started hanging out in the first place.

Isolation goes hand in hand with SAD, but is detrimental to the winter woe, so make great efforts to not be alone.  

Music is key. This time of year, the obvious answer might be holiday music, but anything that keeps your spirits up will do the trick.

From Katy Perry to The Vince Guaraldi Trio, to each his own. But my personal recommendation: “8 Days of Christmas” from Destiny’s Child. Never have I kept a straight face when vintage Beyoncé comes up on my shuffle singing “On the 6th day of Christmas, my baby gave to me / a cropped jacket and dirty denim jeans.”

Listen to your body. This is the simplest yet most difficult task. Filling up on healthier foods, getting sleep when you need it and exercising every now and then are all basics.

Nonetheless, these factors manage stress levels, and in turn, strengthen your immune system, leaving you strong and confident as you face these next couple of stress-filled weeks.  

However, you have to remember to indulge. You could be fretting about the holidays, and finals are right around the corner, but you deserve time to relax. Set aside time for recreation.

Make paper snowflakes and play Super Smash Bros. Read for fun. Shop in the dollar section of Target. Watch a feel-good movie, even if that movie is — dare I say it — “The Holiday.”

Buy peppermint ice cream. Drink hot liquids. Eat a whole box of something. I am partial to Annie’s Bunny Grahams.

Finally, think outside of your winter bubble. Pick something to look forward to and focus on it. Soon you will be on winter break, engaging in traditions and spending time with friends or family you love. Find someone outside of your social group to talk to, and you will feel less closed in.

I will not disclose how many times I called my mom this week.

With favorite jingles, comfort food and traditions to be kept with your favorite people, remember that these are times to be enjoyed.

With simple leisures and cozy thoughts, I hope that you are somewhat successful in making this chilly season feel a little warmer.


E-mail: ftirado@indiana.edu