Telling you to go out there and socialize when you are feeling the lowest of the low is clearly something easier said than done. There is nothing more daunting than the thought of leaving the house when you are feeling withdrawn and definitely not much like a ‘people person’.
The good news is that socializing has actually been proven in scientific studies to help boost a bad mood and help ward off those winter blues. You don’t need to leave the house if you don’t want. It’s always best to start off with small steps such as having a chat with someone online, or having a cheeky text conversation while you’re eating your lunch. You might even be brave enough to call or FaceTime a friend. There’s no better excuse to have a shower, do your hair, and slap some makeup on.
You’ll be surprised at how good a spot of socializing can make you feel. Having a good night out at the movies will really lift your spirits and even though you are in a room with many other people, its dark and you can be left to do your own thing. Why not? Book a movie that’s coming to the end of its cinema life, and the theatre itself will be relatively empty too. Why not try it and see? You can always just turn around and come home if things feel like they are getting too much.
Of course, there are always support groups that you can join and once again, it doesn’t need to be a scary bunch of strangers in a room, all sat in a circle. It could be something as small as an online support group… There are plenty of them out there! And some of the people on there are actually normal too… 😉
When you are in a group of people, whether it is on an online platform or a ‘real live’ one, the mood generally is more upbeat. That upbeat mood is actually quite infectious. You know when you want to be really sad and there’s always that one friend that ends up making you laugh? It’s just like that, and even when you are feeling really low, you can’t help but be lifted by the high spirits.
Plus there’s always that really big point — your friends, family and work colleagues are all there to HELP you. Why not lean on them from time to time? Ask them to come to yours with some nibbles and watch a film. Have a good gossip and a catch up over the latest reality TV show on a Saturday night. It seems like a lot of hard work but when it comes down to it, you need to help yourself a little if you want to try and battle those winter blues.
There are a hundred and one ways in which you can boost the socializing you do. Movie dates, nights in, drinks in local, dark pubs, coffee afternoons, hiking in the woods, shopping trips on Sundays when it’s not quite as busy. All you need to do is take baby steps — don’t feel as if you need to do it all at once. It’s only the first step that’s so hard to overcome…[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_cta_button call_text=”Like what you’re reading? Subscribe to our newsletter and make sure you don’t miss our latest posts! ” title=”Subscribe to newsletter” target=”_self” color=”btn-primary” icon=”wpb_mail” size=”btn-large” position=”cta_align_bottom” css_animation=”right-to-left” href=”http://www.beatthewinterblues.info/newsletter-signup/”][/vc_column][/vc_row]