18 Ideas For Combating Winter Cabin Fever
It's hard to get exercise or combat the winter blues when the winter weather keeps us locked indoors much of the time. So what's a myeloma survivor to do? Here are suggestions to to perk you up, keep you healthy, and encourage you to get moving:
- Bake/cook. Try a new recipe with ingredients you've never heard of, let alone tasted. Awakening your taste buds is manna for the soul. Comfort food, like mac & cheese, soups, breads and cookies are great options.
- Take in a movie. Any reason to get you out of the house is a good idea. Best yet, try and see as many movies nominated for this year's Academy Awards as possible. Then watch the Academy Awards and root for your favorites to win.
- Host a lunch or dinner party. Inviting friends over for great food, maybe a little vino, and conversation helps one forget about the weather outdoors.
- Take a hot bath and get lost in a great book. Better yet, add some Epson salts and deliciously-smelling essential oils to your bathwater.
- Binge-watch a great TV series that your friends recommend. Put on your favorite jammies and make some popcorn if you've got a few hours to spare.
- Plan a vacation. Researching where to go can be half the fun and will give you something to look forward to.
- Make (or refresh) your Bucket List. Highlight a few on that list that you can get to this calendar year.
- Go for a drive. Invite a friend or family member to join you. Even better, go for a drive in a part of town you've never been. And if there's an interesting restaurant or coffee shop along the way, stop and sample.
- Exercise. If you don't have a gym, rec center or yoga studio nearby, go to a mall or large store and walk the isles. All movement counts and has great physical and mental benefits attached to it. While you're at it, start a Muscles for Myeloma team and let's help fund promising clinical trials that were selected by the Myeloma Crowd Research Initiative (MCRI).
- Splurge on a new item of clothing.
- Get out of town. If the budget allows, go on vacation. A change of scenery is awesome any time of year, but especially if you live somewhere cold.
- Clean your house (or at least one room). Include a good re-organization, too.
- Start (or get caught up on) your personal journal. Writing is extremely cathartic.
- Do something nice for someone in need. This could be making cookies for a home-bound neighbor, picking up a friend's children from school, visiting a retirement home, taking a family member to lunch, or walking someone's dog.
- Try a new craft. One of our readers has taken up soap-making. Who knew it could be so fun, simple, and make the house smell so great?
- Adopt a homeless pet.
- Get outdoors. If you're able, get outdoors and "enjoy" the cold. Go skiing, sledding, snowshoe-ing, or snowmobiling. Bundle up and go for a walk. Get as much fresh air as you possibly can.
- Get cultured. Find a local play or symphony and get tickets. Go to the opera or symphony. Children's performances can be found pretty much year 'round and cost very little money.
