Well, it is February and we are just now having our first snow day. We really haven't had much severely cold weather this winter. Maybe that has helped my mood. However, cold weather is not the only reason I have always hated winter. I guess I should start with how the previous years usually went. It would start around the end of October. While I always liked the first of October with the air finally cooling off from the summer heat and of course my birthday is the first of October. I love the colors of fall, and while the leaves aren't changing much around here. People start their decorating. Mid-October around fall break time always goes downhill and my mood doesn't really come back up till Spring. I have never been much of a fan of Halloween. While I like dressing up, I have never been a fan of the scary or not knowing who is behind the mask. Even as a child, I hated trick or treating because first, I don't like asking people for things, and second, I don't like to be scared. Now give me a good murder mystery or suspense movie and I'm all in! But the horror aspect that a lot of Halloween costumes and movies portray are not my thing. Also, take into account that I'm a kindergarten teacher and fall is SUPER busy. By October, I am just now feeling that I am teaching content instead of how to act in a bathroom or not run down the hall. My mind is usually a jumble of teaching confusion and my personal schedule. In October we have been spending ALL our Saturdays at cross country meets for two months. We are trying to fit in softball playoffs, practice, cross country and sleep. By the end of October, things start to slow down, however, I am already in a funk. I am trying to start getting into the holiday spirit while getting all the holiday activities started in my class and personal shopping. Things stay super busy till Thanksgiving and then we have a week off for the holiday. Then it starts again with the Christmas season. I usually add on the guilt of not being in the Christmas spirit. When December 23 rolls around I usually find that Christmas spirit and by the 26th it is gone. All the while the air is getting colder and I am having to start battling the layers of clothing. January and February are sick/flu season and I am battling sickness around me. I am blessed to not usually catch anything. Then we hit March and we never know what the air will feel like and school is winding down. The school year has flown by and I wonder if I am wishing my life away. Am I the only one who has winters like this. I would like to think it is just the winter blues but I always feel like I could have changed them.
Things were different this year. I was different this year. I started to try something different. A different outlook on my daily grind. I wanted to see if it helped.
First, I started in October by saying 'NO' to something. I have been working hard to find things I could say 'NO' to, however, it has been hard. So far I have only been able to say 'NO' to things that were easy. This time it was something hard, and also my goal was not to feel guilty. Our church always has a Fall Fest on Halloween. A place for the kids to come to play games, get candy, prizes, and hot dogs and it is all free. We have a small church and workers for this night are hard to find. I am involved with all the children/youth activities. I am slowly working away from the children's activities and focusing on the youth kids. I said 'NO' to help at the Fall Fest. In the past when I have not helped, it was because I took my own kids trick-or-treating before we attended. This year I didn't have any other responsibilities and I still said 'NO'. I spent the night alone at home watching Hallmark Christmas movies. It was great! I had to hear some disapproving comments from friends but I was ok. I was doing this for me.
Second, I DVRed all the Hallmark Christmas movies I could find and started watching them. Every weekend I would watch one. It might take me a couple of days of watching pieces, but I did it. I finally finished all my DVR Christmas movies at the end of January. My husband asked what I would watch next year. I just said I'll wait and see. This concept of watching so many movies (which I don't usually do) really helped me get into the Christmas spirit. I would spend a few minutes unplugging from reality and resting.
Third, I started the day after Thanksgiving posting something I was 'thankful for' on my Instagram page. I tried to do it in the morning to start my day off being thankful. I have missed a few days so far, but it has really helped me to focus on the blessings in my life.
Not every day this winter has been all roses. I have had the blues and really hated losing the sunshine at 5:00 pm. However, my outlook on this season has been so much better. I was still super busy and still had the same problems but it has been easier to see the good in each day. I am still ready for spring, but winter isn't so bad this year. So I will spend this snow day doing a few things on my to-do list, reading a book and watching a movie. Knowing all the while that winter isn't over, but spring is still coming soon
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