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Financial Journey
Prepare Ahead for the Winter Doldrums This is my favorite time of year, as I enjoy
experiencing the cool evenings of the autumn season in the mountains where we
live. The Fall has always been my
favorite season of the year and it seems to fly by in about a month’s time.
I also enjoy winter here because I love the snow.
Having grown up in California and spending 46 years of my life there,
snow is still a novelty to me.
With the winter season, however, many people
suffer from the winter blues before the season comes to an end.
The blues can lead to depression, stress, anxiety or other emotions which
can be harmful in many ways. Some
people handle these negative emotions by spending, and then get into a vicious
cycle of feeling guilt for overspending. Even if you are snowed in, there are
countless ways to spend while sitting in the comfort of your home. We have the
modern technology to shop on the internet, get hooked on Ebay, and scour
catalogs that are more than plentiful at this time of year. As if those
weren’t enough, we always have QVC and the Home Shopping Channel! I wanted to share a list of my ideas to let the sunshine in throughout the winter months. There is beauty in every season, and it would be a shame to waste a good part of the year suffering from the doldrums. Here are some that I practice, and before I know it Spring time is here: When you awake each morning, say a short
mantra of thanks for another beautiful day.
After you have made a habit of doing this, you will realize that each day
you have on this earth is a wonderful day. Problems can be solved and dealt
with, so it is important to be thankful for the gift of life. Also, after saying your own mantra –
however you choose to phrase it – find at least one focal point of the day
that you are looking forward to.
If you can’t think of anything, create something. Plan to pick up one
of your favorite salads from the deli for lunch, or stop to get a special cup of
coffee. Maybe your favorite
television series is on tonight. If
nothing else, you can look forward to when you can go to sleep that night, but
let’s hope you come up with something! I often recite a verse from an old Johnny Mercer song that I love and I wasn’t even born when this was popular. The verse goes; "Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative, and don’t mess with Mr. In-between." It has the greatest tune, so if you don’t know it, try to find somebody who does so that you can sing it to the tune. Create a comfort drawer, and put all your special little mementoes in it. Add to the drawer over time. Go through the drawer and remember all of the special memories attached to these treasures during a dull, boring, or blue moment. Keep your thoughts positive throughout
the day. This one is difficult to do and I know this first hand. That
is why I tried a trick that I had read about that really worked. I put a rubber
band on my wrist, and every time I caught myself thinking a negative thought I
would snap it as hard as I could. I immediately replaced it with a
positive thought. When I find myself slipping into this pattern, I put a rubber
band back on my wrist – it works, try it! If you have a particular problem that is
especially consuming your thoughts, which most of us do, limit the amount of
time you will talk about it to anybody else to 15 minutes a day. I’ve
tried this one and it also works very well. Once you start talking about
it, the clock is ticking, even if you only talk five minutes. If you think
of something else you want to say during the day, jot it down and wait until the
next day. You feed the negativity by concentrating on it constantly and
the only way to get around that is to replace negative thoughts with positive
ones. Music is a fantastic way to lift your
spirits. Play music that makes you feel happy, peaceful, and/or
calm. If you don’t think to play music when you are in the doldrums,
then post a list of things you can do in a place where you will see if often. Colors and scents also brighten dulled
spirits. Choose colorful clothes to wear, buy yourself a beautiful
bouquet of flowers, and boil a pot of spices on the stove to create a scent –
often it is the little things that lift your spirits. Pets really are our best friends when we
are feeling down in the dumps. Take some time to play or cuddle –
studies have shown that contact with pets will lower your blood pressure and
just make you feel happier overall. That
is why they allow therapy animals in many healthcare facilities. I know
that petting our kitties calms me immediately and watching them with their funny
antics makes me laugh out loud. It’s hard to laugh and feel blue at the
same time. Go for a walk or get some form of
exercise each day. Exercise produces those feel-good endorphins and it will
make you feel better all the way around. If motivation is a problem,
don’t spend time deciding if you’ll exercise, just do it! A buddy
system always helps because you’ve made a commitment. If nobody is home,
turn up the music and dance around. Find a way to make exercise a part of
each day. Smile at everybody you see throughout the day and find a kind word to say to as many people as you can. You’ll not only brighten their day, but you’ll feel happier inside. Perform random acts of kindness whenever the chance presents itself. Sometimes I feel like an angel just arrived at the perfect time when I needed help—you just might be that angel another person needs if you stay aware and look for opportunities to show kindness. If you are having a bad day, remind yourself that "this too will pass." We all have funky moments, hours, or days. It’s a part of life. Even the most optimistic people aren’t like that 24/7. Distract yourself by getting involved just doing something. Clean a room, call a friend, pay your bills, read a book. Usually while you are involved physically doing something, your mind will stay more in the present moment. Winter is a great time to get your spring cleaning done so that when the weather improves you can get outdoors and enjoy it! Think about something you have planned in the future that brings some enjoyment. We have a family vacation once a year with my sisters and their husbands, so if I’m having a bad day I often think about that and how much fun it will be. When you go to sleep at night, think of
three things that you are grateful for. Gratitude has a way of
bringing more good into your life, if only because you start to become more
acutely aware of it. I have trouble with the hot weather during
the summer and often find myself looking forward to the cooler seasons
ahead. The problem with this kind of thinking is that time passes by fast
enough. I don’t want to waste it by looking forward to a few months down
the road. I’ve been working on pulling myself back into the present and
appreciating each moment we are given, because once it’s gone, it is gone
forever. I have been practicing my own
suggestions! Last week my husband and I were finding ourselves tense over
a situation we have no control over. We
both decided to start cleaning something. It moved from that to deep
cleaning a room every few days as we have the time. It pulled us back into
the present and we are enjoying the feeling of a really clean home at the same
time! It also is something we can do and share together and once we
started, our funk stopped. Now I’m working on the exercise challenge! My challenge to each reader is to find your own ways of appreciating every moment and snapping out of the negative as quickly as possible. My list might help provide some ideas, and you can add to it with your own. Make today a great day!
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Copyright © 2007 by Karen Kuebler. All rights reserved. Want more money-saving tips? Get a FREE Subscription to our monthly newsletter!
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