With the new year in full swing, and the holidays a fond memory, reality has started to set in for a lot of us. The gloomy, cold weather here in ATL might end soon, but it might last for another few months, too. We never know, do we? š
If you’ve got a case of cabin fever because of the cold weather lately, you aren’t alone. We recently read that hundreds of thousands of people suffer from mid-winter depression because they spend so much time inside!
Thankfully, there are ways to combat the gloom and today weāll share a few of those with you.
š¶Get outdoors
This may seem like a no-brainer to most, but even just a few minutes spent in nature can lift spirits! Michelle Gielan, an expert in positive health & wellness, suggests that you bundle up and head outside for a brisk walk. If there’s water nearby (like the pond in Historic Fourth Ward Park or Proctor Creek on the Westside) make that your destination.
āOne study shows that just five minutes a day walking by the water boosts our mood,ā Gielan says at PsychologyToday.com.
šµBring the outdoors in
If itās just too chilly to get outdoors, itās time to bring nature into your home. Here are several ideas weāve rounded up from various experts:
š¼ļøFill the main living spaces of your home with photos of nature
āA new study has found that just looking at still images of nature is enough ānaturalā stimulus to lower our stress levels,ā claims Peter Dockrill at ScienceAlert.com.
āļøLet in more natural light
āOne Australian study that measured levels of brain chemicals flowing directly out of the brain found that people had higher serotonin levels on bright sunny days than on cloudy ones,ā according to Alice Park with Time magazine.
Serotonin, as you may know, is a substance in our brains that is sometimes known as āthe happy chemicalā because it assists in making us feel happy.
Park goes on to say that the effect of natural light on serotonin levels persists, āno matter how cold or hot the weather was.ā
If you’re able to make a few adjustments to your home, consider these ways to improve natural light:
- Adding skylights
- Adding more mirrors and other reflective surfaces (mirrored or metallic accents, picture frames, cabinet pulls). In fact, some decorators use one large mirror directly across from a dark roomās largest window to help reflect natural light. Any reflective objects, however, help bounce natural light around a room.
- Consider painting the ceiling with a high-gloss paint. āA glossy ceiling finish reflects light well,ā suggests Monique Valeris and Kelsey Kloss at ElleDecor.com.
- Clear obstructions from windows. Obviously, cleaning your windows is the first step here, but trimming trees that obstruct the light also helps. And, although those heavy, dark draperies help insulate the home, consider switching them out for a lighter fabric that allows more natural light to enter the room.
š¼Create an indoor greenspace
Adding houseplants to your homeās main living spaces can help lower stress and improve well-being, according to several studies.
One of these, published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology, studied two subject groups. One group transplanted an indoor plant while the other carried out a task on the computer.
After completing the tasks, the gardening group felt significantly āmore comfortable, soothed, and naturalā than the computer task group. Surprisingly, the gardening group also exhibited significantly lower diastolic blood pressure.
Check out these ideas for creating a mini indoor green space to help lift your mood:
š±Create a terrarium
Find inspiration online at PopularMechanics.com, BalconyGardenWeb.com and Gardeners.com.
šæBring in the houseplants
From a kitchen counter herb garden to pots of greenery scattered throughout the main living spaces, houseplants ā especially if you interact with them (watering, transplanting, etc.) ā is the next best thing to being outdoors, in nature.
Choose plants that can handle winterās low and short-duration light levels. These include:
- Arrowhead vine (Syngonium podophyllum)
- Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
- Polka dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya)
- Peace lily (Spathiphyllum)
- Corn plant (Dracaena fragrans)
Choose non-toxic plants if you have pets (especially cats ā they love to munch on plants). Youāll find a list of these plants at Gardenologist.org.
šMove
Whoa, whoa, whoa. This seems super drastic, right? Well, if all else fails, you really can move to improve your quality of life and shake off depression. A study in the journal of Environmental Science & Technology finds that moving to an area with more street trees and more greenery in general can help lift moods and increase mental wellness for up to three years.
Now thatās something we can help you with. Reach out to us and weāll get to work finding you a lovely greenspace to call home. Call or text anytime: 404.267.1995
