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How To Beat The Winter Blues And Avoid Cabin Fever

Winter is all fun and games…until after New Years' Eve.

Christmas trees, candelabras, and holiday parties are basically traded in for cabin fever and anything black in our wardrobes.

Mix in freezing temperatures for some across the country and winter quickly becomes the most miserable time of year, with the remaining winter months turning boring, stale, and downright depressing.

Seriously, a form of depression called seasonal affective disorder (SAD) affects millions of people and mainly occurs when the seasons change from fall to winter.

So to counter the occurrence of depression and cabin fever, here are a few things to do with those brutal months:

Cook New Meals

Cooking (Photo Credit: Thinkstock)

What better time to perfect your cooking skills than when you're stuck indoors or bored? Cooking offers a sure-fire way to stave off boredom, especially if you're not that great at it. Creating a mess in the kitchen also means you have to clean it up; it's like two boredom-reducing activities for the price of one.

 

Host Dinner Parties (or any type of party)

Dinner Party (Photo Credit: Thinkstock)

This goes hand-in-hand with cooking. If you're already cooking, you might as well invite a few friends over to indulge in your amazing (or terrible) cooking. Plus, you'd be helping your friends with their cabin fever as well by forcing them out of the house. Think of it as your way of contributing to the greater good while keeping yourself entertained.

 

Exercise/Stay Healthy

Exercise (Photo Credit: Thinkstock)

We all know it.  The winter months are just a giant excuse for staying in, sleeping and vegging out; also known as hibernation. But it doesn't have to be that way.  Instead, be smart and get a headstart on that summer body while everyone else is sitting on their couch with that jar of Nutella.

 

Binge-Watch TV Shows

Binge-watch/ Television (Photo Credit: Thinkstock)

On the completely opposite spectrum is binge-watching. If you're not feeling particularly motivated to exercise, then binge-watching a favorite or new television series is sure to keep you entertained for hours upon hours during the winter. It's the best time to catch up on all of those seasons of "The Good Wife" that everyone keeps talking about, especially if you've got the CBS All Access app.

 

Decorate the Home

Home Decor (Photo Credit: Thinkstock)

You might as well make your home look the best it can if you're going to be stuck inside of it for the winter months to come. Get a little creative and try your hand at interior design and home décor by using things already sitting around your house. First, try a simple arts and crafts project and then move up to the big leagues of DIY.  Before you know it, you'll be like a Pinterest pro.

 

Get a Hobby

Photography (Photo Credit: Thinkstock)

With plenty of time on your hands in the winter months, you can finally pick up that hobby of yours. Whether it be knitting, photography, curating, writing, or learning a new language, the bore of mid-winter blues can be broken by keeping your mind active and sharp. Besides, it's about time to stop putting off self-improvement.

 

Go Outside

Walk (Photo Credit: Thinkstock)

Just because it's winter doesn't mean you can never venture out of your home. It's not the apocalypse, people. In fact, taking a walk or running a few errands can provide quite a lift for anyone who is battling depression or trying to keep from going stir crazy.

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