71
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] fireweed@lemmy.world 8 points 11 months ago

Find an activity you can do outside every (or nearly every) day, or for an extended time on weekends. The cold and/or snow (and/or rain depending on your climate) will make you want to shun the outdoors but that's the trap. An activity that gets you moving is best IMO because it will help you keep warm, but proper clothes are really the key.

I personally like force-myself-outside activities that are easily replicable, like a run or walk of a set distance at a set time so it's just part of my everyday schedule, making it harder to welch. If you can do it first thing in the morning all the better: there's research indicating that early morning sunlight exposure--even through cloud cover--is important in winter. Whatever the activity it doesn't have to be long; ten minutes outside daily is better than zero minutes, but I'd recommend 15-30 minutes if you can swing it. Even sitting outside on a porch or front stoop with warm clothes and a warm drink while you read the news or do your morning social media check-in or whatever helps.

Conversely if everyday activities don't work for you or your situation, pick up a new hobby that's winter-oriented like ice fishing or snow shoeing or cross-country skiing (a lot of the equipment for this type of thing can be rented so you can try out a variety). I'm more of a hiking person myself, which is truly the best year-round activity and requires minimal gear (although in winter proper clothing really makes a difference, especially base layers). The key is making sure to do that activity for several hours at least once a week, and finding something that you enjoy and doesn't feel like a chore.

However don't underestimate the power of moving. I don't mean full snow-birding it down to Arizona or Florida: even places with a proper four seasons can differ dramatically from each other, and finding one that fits you (and facilitates getting outdoors more) can make a world of difference. I'm in the Pacific Northwest, and a lot of people would hate the long, dark, rainy winters, but it's a lot easier to go on daily walks and runs on wet pavement than icy pavement so it works for me (plus it's green here all year and you can garden year-round to a small degree). I really struggled living places where the air hurt my face, so cold but dry also works for getting me outside more. I know moving for the weather sounds petty, but why live somewhere that you hate for half the year?

[-] dumples@kbin.social 2 points 11 months ago

Doing cross country skiing in the winter cures the winter blues so well. Try to go during the day when the sun is out is even better. You get exercise and really realize how cold out you can still enjoy the winter. Added bonus you get really excited for snow

this post was submitted on 15 Dec 2023
71 points (96.1% liked)

Ask Lemmy

26875 readers
1901 users here now

A Fediverse community for open-ended, thought provoking questions

Please don't post about US Politics. If you need to do this, try !politicaldiscussion@lemmy.world


Rules: (interactive)


1) Be nice and; have funDoxxing, trolling, sealioning, racism, and toxicity are not welcomed in AskLemmy. Remember what your mother said: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. In addition, the site-wide Lemmy.world terms of service also apply here. Please familiarize yourself with them


2) All posts must end with a '?'This is sort of like Jeopardy. Please phrase all post titles in the form of a proper question ending with ?


3) No spamPlease do not flood the community with nonsense. Actual suspected spammers will be banned on site. No astroturfing.


4) NSFW is okay, within reasonJust remember to tag posts with either a content warning or a [NSFW] tag. Overtly sexual posts are not allowed, please direct them to either !asklemmyafterdark@lemmy.world or !asklemmynsfw@lemmynsfw.com. NSFW comments should be restricted to posts tagged [NSFW].


5) This is not a support community.
It is not a place for 'how do I?', type questions. If you have any questions regarding the site itself or would like to report a community, please direct them to Lemmy.world Support or email info@lemmy.world. For other questions check our partnered communities list, or use the search function.


Reminder: The terms of service apply here too.

Partnered Communities:

Tech Support

No Stupid Questions

You Should Know

Reddit

Jokes

Ask Ouija


Logo design credit goes to: tubbadu


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS