Coping with shorter and colder months.

What?!

I've checked weather on my phone the other day and was shocked to see what time sun rise and sun set actually were at this time of the year. I leave house around 6:30 am each morning and get back at around 5, maybe 5:30 pm so in these colder months I barely see sunlight except short bursts at break time when I need to go outside to pick up my students for the next class. Other than that, however, I don't get a chance to enjoy the little sunshine we get in winter months. This, coupled with colder weather (although it has been rather mild most of the time this year), can really make it a challenge to go about your daily life: from getting out of bed in the morning, through going about your daily responsibilities, to staying healthy and relaxing with purpose.

I've put together a short guide to what you can do make winter months a little more bearable.

Wake up light

This is a life-saver. I can honestly recommend using wake up lights in the winter months when you wake up only to discover that it's still dark outside. I was gifted mine by Mr Magic and it's honestly the best present I ever got. It's the third winter I'm using it and usually after a few weeks I don't even need the sound anymore, the light alone wakes me up. I pack it up in spring and put at the bottom of my wardrobe ready for next winter. There's loads of those wake up lights out there now, I think the one I have is about £90, it's a lot of money, but as I said, worth every penny (or maybe you can suggest it as a Christmas gift?). If you're struggling to get out of bed in winter, it's definitely a great option.

Flavoured tea

I don't usually drink flavoured tea, but it's really nice to try some new stuff in winter to warm you up from the inside. I've had chocolate flake tea which was really good, apple and cinnamon is also one of my winter favourites. There is something very comforting in drinking something else than ordinary breakfast tea or even earl grey.

Cosy socks

I have a bunch of cosy wool blend socks in my drawer which are perfect for long winter evenings. My favourite ones were bought in Estonia last year. They have a lovely pattern and are so warm! I struggle keeping my hands and feet warm most of the time, so having nice cosy socks is absolutely essential. I don't often wear socks because I mostly wear skirts and dresses so tights are what I usually wear, but I actually have a completely separate winter socks collection for when ordinary cotton socks are not enough.

Gratitude

I feel like this word is being thrown around a lot, but being grateful can really make a difference to even the coldest of days when life seems to be too much. Each evening I thank God for specific things that happened that day (you can read about my praying routine here). It is a good practice to reflect on all the good things that happened to you. Even the smallest of things. I sometimes just thank God for the food that I've eaten or the time I had to read a book. On other days it might be something more special. In any case, practising gratitude helps me to keep a healthy perspective on things, to remember the positive aspects of my life.