The weather man swore....

If you listen to or watch the news you may have heard the weather man swear...or maybe it was the weather girl...but either way...somebody needs their mouth washed out with soap! 

Now some people and places have already seen this four letter word and I bet some need their mouths washed out too....SNOW!! yep! nasty little four letter word in my world. It keeps me home more than I like, shaking and shivering when I do go outside and walking like Bambi the first time he went on the ice....remember that? yeah he fell...I usually do too....so needless to say I'm not looking forward to the snow.

Some people find when the clocks go back their "seasonal sadness" comes back too. It gets darker earlier and the lack of sunshine can have dramatic affects. Have you noticed this about yourself? Does the winter months bring a sadness that isn't relieved till the Spring?

When the snow comes and the weather changes...how does it affect you? Do you still get exercise outdoors? Do you hibernate under your blankets with a tub of Rocky Road ice cream? Do you look out the window and give an occasional swear word at the amount of snow on our lawn? (yeah I do too)...but seriously...give it some thought....How does the weather and seasonal changes impact your life and how do you handle it? Does your pain go up when the temperatures go down? 

We can't avoid the nasty little four letter word...not here in Canada anyway...and I'm not moving anytime soon so some ideas are needed to survive the winter months...here are a few of mine....

• drink something that is hot on the cold days...give your body that warm fuzzy feeling...slowly enjoy your body being warmed from the inside
  
• have blankets ready to cuddle under when you get cold and you can't raise the thermostat without blowing your budget..hot water bottles work too...heating blankets or space heaters are also an alternative
  
• dress in layers that are easy to put on and take off when needed
• go for a long soak in a warm/hot bath or shower...release your stress...read a book..light a candle...unwind
  
• get outside and go for a walk....yes even on the cold days...go for a walk...bundle up and use your layers...but get outside and breath in the fresh air
• have activities  that you enjoy going to to get you out of the house...take a class in something you always wanted to learn about
  
• spend time with friends....when the snow comes we tend to hunker down and stay home...get out with your friends..go see a show....go see a live band...there are things you can do even in the colder months
  
• check out Vitamin D supplements or even the "seasonal" lighting that is available to give and boost your body's need for the sunshine
  
• when lost in the seasonal sadness...remember it will end...but until it does...do what ever you need to do to make yourself feel better without leaving scars behind....talk to a close friend or family member, keep a journal of your thoughts and feelings, gain an understanding as to why you feel what you feel and then soothe yourself...be patient and caring with the words you use with yourself too
• get lost in your hobbies doing what makes you forget about the pain...even if only for a little while
  
• have fun with the family building a snowman or other winter activities that winter loving people like (I'm not one of them sorry...I'm a beach bum)

Yes, even for people like me who dislike that four letter word, there are things we can do to keep our spirits up and wait it out till the thaw comes....what can you do to help you survive the cold?

take good care of you