Lean into Celebrations

Almost every culture has a holiday tradition in the wintertime. It’s been suggested that celebrating during this cold and dark season can help us maintain positivity, but with the way the holidays are so commercialized in the U.S., it seems to contribute more to stress than to joy. 

Abandoning that stress can often feel like abandoning the holidays all together, but it doesn’t have to. Rather than focusing on all the trappings of the season, focus on your family and celebration. Some things you can do with your girls include:

• Baking
• Crafting
• Cut paper snowflakes
• Write a letter to a loved one 
• Play games

Cultivating Healthy Habits When You Feel Like Hibernating 

The cold weather, even here in Atlanta, makes us want to stay inside. This year, our temperatures seemed to drop from 90 to 30 overnight. The winter blues are a real thing, especially as it starts getting dark so early in the evening. Many people experienced Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. SAD is a specific type of depression brought on by the changing of the seasons and shorter daylight hours. Whether you or your daughters are suffering from SAD or just feeling an inward pull this winter, here are some ways you can cultivate healthy habits when you would rather just stay inside. 

Establishing Healthy Sleep Habits

Since SAD affects sleep, it’s important to establish healthy sleep habits. With fewer hours of sunlight during the day, the darkness makes us want to hibernate like bears. With all the excitement of the holiday it can also be difficult to get kids to bed.

At night, it’s important to establish a nighttime routine. End screen time within a half hour of bedtime. Make bedtime as comfortable and soothing as possible. This can include scents that promote healthy sleep, like lavender. Keep the sleeping area cool as the air temperature can affect your comfort level. Block out ambient light. And the tried and true story before bedtime is still a great family bonding event that helps your kids get to sleep.

Embracing Mindfulness

You’ll probably hear a lot of people recommend meditation to help you manage the effects of SAD. You may think that trying to empty your mind and focus on your breathing is the last thing you need to do, but there are many forms of meditation. 

Mindfulness can be a useful tool. With mindfulness, you’re not trying to clear your mind of all thoughts. Instead, you’re trying to focus your thoughts in the moment. Take eating for example. How does your food look? How does it smell? Take a small bite and think about how it feels on your tongue. How does it taste? When you experience things through all your senses, you become more in tune with the world around you. Mindfulness is also something you can do with children by modifying and even gamifying the process. You’ll both experience the benefits of more mindfulness in your daily lives.

What can you do this winter to stay positive, active, and healthy?