Beating the Winter Blues with Alison Keim

All anyone's talking about these days is the weather. I know it's freakin' cold but you'd think we were born and raised in the Caribbean, the way we're reacting to a little cold snap and a little snow.
Okay, yes, it's more than a little snow, and -14 is more than a cold snap. And I admit that I live in an ivory tower where I have good heat, don't have to shovel and I don't own a car so I don't worry about a parking space or my car starting or digging it out after the snow plows go through. And there are stores and restaurants minutes away by foot. Nice life, right?
But it's winter. And we live in Chicago. This too shall pass.
Meanwhile, my friend's daughter is now blogging for ULoop and she wrote a terrific column about beating the winter blues so I'm sharing it with you. Being the daughter of one of my closest friends isn't credential enough to get on my blog, but she also happens to be a great writer. And she's really smart. And beautiful. All right, I'll stop.
I think these are great tips. But you be the judge.
Take it away Alison!

How To Beat the Winter Blues

by Alison Keim

It’s that time of the year again. The gingerbread cookies are officially stale; you’ve reached the last drops of the eggnog, and the Christmas tree is nestled nicely back in storage until next year. Now that the holiday season has reached it’s end, it leaves a sense of ‘now what’ when taking on the dreary rest of the winter. Each day it seems harder to get out of bed, and when you do, you find yourself feeling groggy, cold, and miserable, resembling much like the weather outside. Here are a few tips I always follow that help me beat the winter blues.

1. No more hitting snooze

It’s almost impossible to hit the snooze button just once, and after you start…well, you find yourself laying in bed until you realize you have to sprint out of the house flustered, smelly, and looking a wreck (causing you to feel like a wreck). Instead, take your phone and place it on the other side of the room for when your alarm goes off. This way you’ll have to physically get out of your bed to turn it off. You will be less likely to go back into your bed and fall back asleep than you would be while lying in your bed. With more time in the morning you can clean yourself up appropriately, have a nice healthy breakfast, and you’ll find yourself feeling happier, healthier, and more prepared for each day.
Read the rest of the article.