Rain rain go away.....

So we had a beautiful long summer this year in British Columbia, and last week I woke up to the harsh realization that summer is now officially over. The sound of rain beating against my window made me want to pull the covers over my head and stay in bed forever. 

Sound familiar? Is this how you feel too? 

Winter blues or SAD's ( Seasonal Affective Disorder), whatever you want to call it, are upon us. 

For myself, winter blues are a very real thing, brought on by the sudden change in seasons combined with growing up in a country where we never saw winter for most of my life. This is now heightened even more by my fading pregnancy hormones and the fact that I spend more time indoors with my Little, tapped by the unrelenting rain.

How do I keep things together you may ask?! 

While some days are more tough then others, here is my secret recipe:

-Find a hobby you love to immerse yourself in, for me it was making jewelry, the hours and days will fly by in no time. Plus you get such satisfaction making things with your hands!

- Make a dream board, mine includes tropical places and pictures of home, and start a fund to get to your winter destination. I save all year long, a little at a time to go soak up some sun and get a much needed break from the Vancouver rain.

- Vitamins!!! Vitamin C,D and ALL the B's. The B's are very important because they give you natural mood boosters and energy, while the D's give you what you need from the lack of natural sunlight. To finish up nicely the C's help combat any winter illness that are so frequently creeping around this time of the year. (Don't forget to keep taking your normal multi vitamin as well!)

- Its hard to get out these days and enjoy the fresh air so we try to go to our local tot romp, the pool or even just go do laps around the mall.

- Instead of spring cleaning, try "winter cleaning". The act of organizing, throwing out clutter and donating unused items is cleansing for your mind and soul.

- Volunteer!! There is nothing in the world that makes you feel better then giving to others, especially this who are less fortunate. Contact your local soup kitchen, food bank, or shoot me an email to get in on the project my friends and I do every year for the homeless!

- Yoga, yoga, yoga..... especially hot yoga.....being a a hot steamy room with 25 other sweaty bodies doesn't always seem that enjoyable, but for me it is heaven! Heat, humidity, a dimly lit room, relaxing spa music and stretches that make my body feel amazing, are absolutely a must. Its an hour of heaven, especially for those of us who have screaming tots at home;).

- Most importantly, never feel bad about feeling under the weather this time of the year. It happens to so many of us!! Find things that make you happy and do them!! 

Do you have any tips or tricks for combating SAD's? Comment below!

I'm off to start putting these things into action myself!!

xoxo,

Megan