Frozen Landscapes, Rejuvenation and Winter's Purpose

A great many people hate the wintertime, especially the period from January to March. They don't like the cold, snowy weather that often keeps them inside and cancels their plans. They are bored and may feel that the walls of their homes are closing in on them! However, this feeling can be overcome, especially with the Internet and other diversions. More importantly, people can battle winter blues and depression by focusing on their goals and aspirations, and by continuing to break bad habits, adopting a positive attitude for a better life!

People in January and February experience post-holidays blues, an emotional let-down after the Christmas season. They may have enjoyed the preceding festive period of the year and don't want to handle the boring, mundane months of January and February. Some even suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), due to a lack of sunlight and the uncomfortable feeling of being cooped up inside.

Many individuals, including many of you, experience a lack of emotional stimulation at this time and have great difficulty finding joy and happines during the blahs of January. For this reason, they often fear the three months that follow Christmas. The Christmas decorations come down, family members fly back home and everything seems routine and monotonous once again. I myself used to feel the emotional let-down in early-to-mid January!

We are also down due to our personal excesses of the holidays. Many individuals regret mistakes they've made over the holidays: relatives they've offended, ways they've overindulged, and consequences brought on by too much merrymaking. They may realize that they have to lose weight, cut back on their drinking or change their spending habits. I can relate to this, as I often overeat over the holidays. After all, what is Christmas for!

January and February can be very positive, however, if a person decides to make the most of the opportunities for growth provided by this time of the year. Business people can gain in the long-term by planning financial ventures - related to stock, bonds, e-commerce, etc. Renters may want to move to a better apartment (with the help of their tax refund check) or to buy a home and begin building equity. Workers wanting to advance their careers often apply for new jobs. January and February is the time of the year to start thinking about getting a better job or getting back into the workforce.

January is also a good time for people to focus on their New Year's Resolutions, or on continuing their efforts for personal change and growth. These changes can benefit them if they don't expect 100% success. At the start, your progress will not be consistent. You will fail at times, but the key is to get back to making progress and to learn from any failures. Don't beat yourself up over any minor setbacks!

Like many of you, I have a few of my own resolutions and goals for 2018. I plan to blog much more regularly. I want to get to the point at which I post a new blog article every day! I also need to lose weight and get into shape. I plan to do this by dieting and starting a new exercise program. My little bit of depression can be conquered, as I stop lounging around so much. I hope to get back into doing housework and, eventually, lawn work, when the spring finally arrives. I plan to make 2018 as fruitful as possible, and have high hopes for this year!

Even the cold and snow of January and February make it easy to focus on things neglected during the warmer months. Winter storms give snow days to both kids and adults. Everyone needs an adult snow day! A day of reading, TV and snacks can provide a little bit of fun to break up the monotony of this point in the Wheel of the Year. People can also use the Internet to work from home, make money online and contact friends and family members.

In the dead of winter, people can find new activities to keep them busy! This isn't too hard, once a person becomes resourceful. A person can pick up a new hobby, visit a new restaurant, binge on a new TV show or read more about a thing that has always intrigued them. The person can learn to cope with the mundane and to create the extraordinary out of the ordinary. In so becoming resourceful, a person can become more well-rounded individual, so that, come spring, they will compete better in the social sphere.

Even in nature mid-winter has its own frozen beauty. Streams, ponds and rivers are sometimes frozen over, greatly altering their appearances. Snow and ice, along with red sunsets, create some beautiful landscapes, great for photography and painting. Artists would do well to capture this season of the year! Mother Nature is sleeping, and is rejuvenating herself; it is the time of year when we should do the same!