How do "you" save yourself from that Winter blues and how did you start doing this thing?

[GabiWolf]

You can come visit me! All the snow birds are flocking in right now, you can just integrate into them.

[vothnthorvaldson]

it is indeed possible that some of the birds that passed over my farm last month are now at your place!
I do migrate in winter but not in the US (I think I remember that's where you are from, sorry if I'm wrong!), although I should one of these times, I've not been there since very long.

[GabiWolf]

I use to get really bad seasonal depression which got worse around Christmas. Someone once told be the best way to feel less negative around the holidays is to give of yourself or volunteer. I never found a soup kitchen to volunteer at, and the one time I did I worked a job where I wasn’t off on Thanksgiving.
So another tradition came about; baking cookies. I bake cookies and give them to people, in nice little boxes and fun shapes, like ninja bread men, instead of gingerbread men. Last year I made 25 boxes of cookies to hand out!

[GabiWolf]

Last month there was a flock of Canadian geese in a field near my home, but I was talk more about the human “snowbirds”. People from the northern parts of the US also migrate down to the south. And yes you remember correctly I am in the a United States.

[Azifri]

I'm one of those weirdos who get the "blues" in summer, and the worst is that people think I'm joking when I tell them about it. I also get physically sick when it's warm; if the temperature is over 30°C I have constant headaches, and over 38°C my nose bleeds. I hate the summer. If I have the chance, I work during the evening/night hours and sleep during the day. Things that help me are hiking in places that are shady and away from people, like forests. I also like to have a garden, and spend time processing the harvest for the winter. Homebrewing is a third option. I don't remember how any of those started, probably I was just doing again the things that made me feel happy at some point.

[Kat]

Those are beautiful!! I'm a disaster with knitting and crocheting- I just can't get into it, but mad respect to those who do.

I definitely get S.A.D. during the dark months, and winter lasts a long time where I live. Making colorful things and maintaining a social life are vital for me to survive winter, and I'm trying to find more outdoor winter activities I enjoy. Last winter I found out I love cross country skiing, so I have that to look forward to when it snows! I've gotten into painting furniture and things as well! I discovered I'm one of those obnoxious people who needs to coordinate EVERYTHING in the home. Here are a couple pieces I finished recently!

I have a big fancy (but very brown) jewelry box I'm going to refinish when the weather gets cold and cranky, and I'll be busting out my watercolors to paint smol characters with huge colorful eyes.
and medical and psychiatric help as needed, naturally.

[ar-ninetysix]

I actually get summer blues too in a way. I'm personally glad the weather's starting to get colder here. As much as it can anyways, California's still on fire lol but yeah it's been getting better. I'm much more productive in the winter so I'm hyped for more writing soon~

I tend to sleep in a lot during the day in the summer to avoid having to feel the heat. I basically started hibernating in the last few years. If that's not enough, I'll take cold showers and sometimes I intentionally soak the shirt I wear in water when I'm at home to combat the heat if I feel super productive. But of course, that's enough to get me sick. So there's times where I have to tend to the occasional flu too.

My friends usually go out and do stuff around this time, and I usually kinda have to suffer with hating the conditions surrounding the season. Which kinda hinders me from being able to do anything with them for long. Usually just playing video games distracts me from the feeling? I'm not gonna say it improves my overall mood, but it helps. It's not much, but it gets the job done lol the closest I get to winter blues is heightened depression and anxiety around the holidays, but the solution's pretty much the same for me then. I'm a simple guy to calm down, I guess xD

[burginlewis]

We're on our way to Arizona for the winter right this very moment so we can not-deal with this very thing.

Best medicine I found is daily cardiovascular exercise. Preferably outside in the sunshine.

Second best: Wellbutrin.

Please see a doctor if you haven't yet, seriously. Don't try to "distract" yourself from mental illness. That makes as much sense as distracting yourself from flu.

[BobbyjoeX]

and take meds that cause me to walk around like a zombie til it wears off, i start bawling for several hours for no reason then get uncontrollably violent? i rather "detract"

Better explanation (being told to see a doctor actually infuriates me), my doctor has seen that many mind altering drugs have affected me in a way where the negative outweights the positive, the example i said was from 3 different pills, this could be because i have autism, it is recommended to try other means before resorting to drugs cause of they way it can affect them. i see my crochet and my comic are valid solutions to my depression without the use of drugs, please do not assume i haven't seen a doctor

[arleedraws]

Those blankets look so snuggly and aesthetic!!

I feel you with the winter blues, however for me, November and December I get this incredible boost of motivation. Thanksgiving and Christmas mean cozy warm drinks, cold nights, firepits, and holiday lights. But come January everything feels cold and dead, and it's a new year... That hits me really hard. I still don't know how to combat it. Maybe, in everyone's cases here, keep uploading and creating consistently, to create a workflow that won't be broken by the time of year, the weather, ect...

[irene_addler]

I take Vitamin D pills, it helps me a lot because I get the seasonal depression pretty bad lol Also, exercising (by that I mean walking with my mom regularly, nothing crazy cause I hate exercising ehehe), focusing on my comic/writing, loving on my cats! Drinking warm things is nice too. I also have a rice pack that I heat up and either sit on it or just hug it close when I'm at work that that's super comforting too. It also helps me to be around the people I love, whether that's my family or my coworkers, who I really get along well with, because I know they care about me, and are always willing to help me when I'm having a rough time with my depression and anxiety.

[Rodimus13]

I make stories. And sew. Sewing is nice. Oh or bake things for people. That makes me happy!

[JRHoch]

That's some fine work!

[baasinsimple]

Reading. Simple as that. There's something amazing about popping on some beautiful ambient music in front of the fire place and reading some Inheritance Cycle or Light bringer.

[Otirik]

Listen to 'summer' summer music.
Denial that it's winter.
Eat cold frozen foods.
Denial that there's snow outside.
Watch Crazy Rich Asians, MidSommar, Water boy, etc. "Summer" stuff.

[Freemints30]

This is my first time experiencing winter(well its unlikely to snow but still pretty freaking cold with ice already forming). I'm just drinking a shit ton of orange juice in the day to stave off colds, flues and getting sick in general and hot chocolate at night for warmth. Those blanket things are extremely beautiful. Maybe I should get back into embroidering I haven't done that since I was 15, I was pretty good and patience with the satin stitching.

[BobbyjoeX]

i should update, i was unable to stay positive this winter. unfortunately a week after this thread, my mom passed away. the blanket i was making for my dad didn't get finished for the holidays, i was left with no money, some family members wont leave me alone and assume im going to do something bad. its a freaking train wreck but i'm still going! Wish me luck for the rest of the season!

[minerrale]

Glad you're still going! You got this, hun. Best of luck

[JRHoch]

I get the spring blues but not the winter blues. In winter, my allergies recede and my brain works at 25% more capacity.

[LadyN]

I don’t get winter blues (I thrive off winter) but it happens in the summer. I just let my body do what it wants to do, aka sleep.