4 Steps to Getting Through the Winter Blues

Winter can make it feel like everything is frozen in time. Between the holidays and the cold weather, in can feel like real life has come to a halt. As the days get shorter and the night gets longer, it's tough to maintain the energy to even get through the day. Many of us have to remind ourselves that, yes, the sun does set every day before 5PM for a few months. And no, we should probably not feel this tired.

Our goals, drive, personal time, discipline and all of the other things we work on so relentlessly, may feel like they've gone into hibernation. Maybe this is one of the reasons so many of us get excited about New Year's resolutions. We crave to be our best selves, even when our schedules, families and life demands get in the way of our individual wants and needs.

Don't fret: It's important to remember that there's a lot of growth happening underground in the winter. Our interactions with families and friends may stimulate a lot of positive aspirations, or they may remind us of unchecked pain and issues we need to resolve or move past. It's hard to manifest real growth in a season when so many time-based and emotional demands keep us sidetracked from living up to our best intentions, but this is the best time to prepare for necessary changes.

The winter allows us to do a lot of pruning as we bring many things in our lives to their necessary endings, getting ready for spring with our best foot forward.

Winter plan of action:

1. Make a list of the things in your life that need closure, an ending, to be resolved.

2. Make a list of the people, behaviors, patterns or unmet needs that are preventing you from growing.

3. Decide whether you need to add anything from list 2 to list 1.

4. Whatever is left on your second list still needs to change. Write down a list of steps, for each item that is left, which set forth how you are going to change those obstacles into opportunities for new growth as spring approaches.

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