bring in the brightness

This season has been so damp and cold and grey. It is so difficult to stay motivated and happy in this weather, especially doing everything with a tiny human that needs my attention 24/7. I think if it was snowy and I was stuck at home I might have an easier time of it, but I've been able to do all my errands and chores without getting to go outside and have fun. I'm being a toddler, I know, but here in the mountains you learn to love the sunshine as a source of energy and happiness. This Sunday was 60 degrees, and the entire town seemed to be at the park. We were outside for hours playing in the grass and on the swings and going on walks.

Now it's a different story. It is cold enough for wiper fluid to freeze on contact with the windshield. I'm burning a fire at 2 pm in the afternoon just to keep our house at a warm status quo through the evening. We are wearing sweatshirts while cuddled under blankets for naptime. It's hard to continue my postpartum depression and PTSD recovery when the weather outside is the same as it is inside my head.

We chose this area because we love the cool summers and the sparkling winters, so we have to find ways to brighten our home in the grey season. Here are 5 ways to bring sunshine indoors and feel better!

1. Take a good vitamin D supplement.
I take one every day along with a whole host of other vitamins. I've done research for what I need for my own body so I won't be sharing those, but vitamin D is one of those that pretty much everyone needs. You can get a high dosage bottle here.

2. Get some chlorophyll!
Wheatgrass has one of the highest concentrations of chlorophyll, which helps your energy levels and reduces your free radicals. You can read more about it here. You can get chlorophyll from leafy greens, algae (like spirulina), wheatgrass, etc. Growing your own wheatgrass is easy and cheap, and I love the color and life it brings to my kitchen. We throw it in our smoothies and barely notice it.

3. Eat some citrus.
In addition to the great vitamin C, I find that eating citrus in the winter just makes me feel brighter and warmer. I think God knew we would need that little bit of edible sunshine when he made them a winter fruit.

4. Wake up earlier.
Counter-intuitive when you feel so sleepy, but waking up earlier lets you take advantage of the front half of the day (which naturally contains more sunshine when the sun sets at 5:30!). You are more likely to feel better and be more productive if you wake up just 30 minutes before you usually do and take the time to do something good for yourself (like numbers 1-3!)

5. Text or call someone you love.
Winter isolates us, but with modern technology friendship is just a few clicks away. Text someone a silly picture or a quick encouragement, and your heart will be automatically lifted.




I hope these tips help you as you are stuck running from your house to your car for every outing!

-- Caroline



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