I have been reading an assortment of articles on doing away with post holiday, winter blues. Many of the ideas didn't quite apply to single, city dwellers.
Plan your garden for the spring for one. That's a great idea, but I live in NYC. I only have weeds that grown between the cracks in the sidewalk. Spouse "date night" was another suggestion. Again, a great idea, but I don't have a spouse and I am guessing my having a date night your husband is out of the question. There were a lot of suggestions that revolved around activities and time with your kids. Marvelous idea! Love and raise those kids healthy and happy. Me, I'm a family of one.
So I thought, what would I do to quell the seasonal blues and boost my mental health and mood?
Below is my top seven. Enjoy and be of sound mind.
1.Volunteer
I have spent 1000's upon 1000's of hours doing volunteer work and mentoring volunteers. Not only are you helping others in some capacity, but rest assured, its a feel good moment for you as well. Look up organizations that do the work that speaks to your heart. The vast majority will have volunteer opportunities pages listed needs from a day activity to long term projects.
2. Meet someone new
I am talking about a new friend. We all have social media friends that we have never met. You read each others blogs and comment and tweet all the time. How about meeting face to face for coffee? You already know you have some things in common, take it to another level. If you have trouble finding what you want, comment and I will try to offer suggestions.
3. Do something free and cool
I can tell you that there are 100's and100's of things for free in NYC. Meditation, yoga, an assortment of classes and activities. Try something that you have wanted to thats different and wont cost you anything. Here is a start: To celebrate 50 years of philosophy classes in New York, Philosophy Works is offering their 10 week corse as a gift to you – no regular fee, just a $10 administrative charge. Visit http://www.philosophyworks.org/landing/
4. Change your commute
Maybe it sounds silly, but if you walk the same route and take the same train every day it gets boring. If you take a different street or subway, its a whole new view and chance to people watch people you haven't watched before. I do it all the time. If you are a visual kind of person the change of scenery and scene will be a treat.
5. People watch
Seriously. I do this a lot. I know its cold, but go to Times square, pop your ear buds in, listen to your favorite songs, drink some hot tea and watch the chaos that is Times Square. It's like reality TV. It's amusing and invigorating.
6. Something a little wild? No Pants Subway Ride!
Do it! I've done in a few times. It's a little bit wild, a little bit cold but a lot of fun. All these people getting together for an amusing and entertaining common goal has an awesome sense of community. The only two requirements are:
Willing to take pants off on subway
Able to keep a straight face about it
Check out http://improveverywhere.com for details.
7. Something healthy or holistic?
If you are in New York, or close by, check out the New York Open Center. They have a lot of free introductory classes. Check out http://www.opencenter.org/category/advanced-programs/
Have at it and be healthy!
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