I know that it’s June right now, so it’s highly likely nobody wants to read about winter, but I really just have to get this off my chest.

First, is there winter where you live? I live in Manitoba, Canada, and we have intensely cold winters.

I feel like every year that goes by it is getting colder and colder.. but sometimes I wonder if it is really me just getting older and older.

This winter there were so many days where it dropped below even minus forty degrees celsius. It was so cold that it hurt your skin to just run to the car.

But, when you have 3 kids, 2 of which are in school, what are you going to do? There are times, when you simply must go outside.

It was like this day after day, and I found it was really affecting my mental health. I didn’t want to go outside (and I love being outdoors). Frankly, I didn’t want to get out of bed. I was falling deeper and deeper into a very dark place and felt like I was drowning, and unable to be saved.

I knew I had to do something. I had to change this, or I was headed for some very hard times with my mental illnesses.

So, here are 5 things that I did to help me make it through a season that I struggled with.I started writing MUCH more often. It was an escape from the wicked winds that picked up snow and whipped it against my windows. I focused on my blog and creating great content.

I stopped saying ”No” to my kids so often

and rather indulged in the quality time with them. With it being so cold, they were not outside with their friends so much, so more time for me!

De-Clutter!!

I love to de-clutter and organise. I always go through these phases where I just want to throw everything in my house out, and start over. I’ve come to a place in my life, where I really don’t like ”stuff” and try to make sure everything has a purpose. So I took the winter to be a great time to do my organising and de-cluttering.

Netflix! I binge watched Netflix.

In the summer time I am always outside, so I started taking advantage of being indoors, and found some new shows to indulge in!

I learned to enjoy it.

I tried to appreciate the sparkle of the snow and the song of the wind. A lot of times it was difficult, and took a fair bit of focus, but when I was able to clear my head enough, the crispness of the bitter-cold, suddenly wasn’t so bad.

Seasons affect everyone in very different ways for sure, but if there is a season that you struggle with a lot, try to make a list of ways that you might be able to use to make the time more enjoyable.

Take some time to focus on yourself and learn what it is that makes you enjoy just ”being”.

It is summer for me now, and like how I struggle with the intense cold, I also struggle with the intense heat. When the sun is so hot, it feels like my skin is melting, or when I walk outside and it feels as if I can’t breath.

The summer haze that clouds the parks that we visit can sometimes make it unbearable to step foot outside.

Making lists like above helps me to re-focus. It helps me to steer away from the negativity of the intense heat, and focus on the beautiful flowers that are blooming, and the gorgeous green grass that covers the land.

Making lists like this helps me to practise gratitude and be thankful that even though I am not enjoying the weather, there is still something positive in it.

Take Care, Love N