Isolationism

I once heard an apt description Ottawa in that it has two seasons: Summer and Winter.

I was out at 8:00pm tonight to barbeque some venison burgers (kindly donated from Becka’s friend, Sandy, some months ago—they were delicious, thank you Sandy and Scott) and the barbeque cover was welded on with ice even though the temperature at the airport even now (at nearly 1:00am) is still one degree above the freezing point.

I don’t hate the winter, but it’s definitely not my favourite season. Here are a few things I’d like to try (and one or two I try to do already) to beat the winter blues.

Lighting

Probably an obvious one, but changes in (natural) lighting are what creates the seasons in the first place—so lighting that simulates the longer days of summer and warmer tones of light can make a difference. My problem here is that the lights that most closely simulate the sun are usually halogen-based—which run hot, have limited fixtures available, and aren’t as energy efficient compared to CFLs and LEDs. If energy efficiency is a must, look for warm-toned lights.

Sleep Schedule

Maybe less obvious, but applicable to me at least: When you work at home (especially with colleagues in time zones to the west), you tend to sleep late and work late. There’s no substitute for the real deal: Waking earlier and taking advantage of as much natural light as possible is a better idea than depending on artifical light; It’s cheaper and better for you.

Green Space

I definitely find myself missing the green of summer in the colder, winter months. Having indoor plants can definitely help. I’m deeply intrigued by self-managing, larger systems such as the GreenFortune Plantwall, which seems like an excellent solution for those who lack a green thumb (like myself).

Although sometimes I wish I could make a micro-biome in my office, I’m sure creating (to say nothing of maintaining) a living indoor lawn would be difficult if not impossible without at least some significant renovations, maybe something like the Tord Boontje Flower Rug would be an acceptable and fun substitute.

Activity Levels

If you’re an active type, frequently you become less so during the winter months: After all, there is less sunlight and of course, less warmth to be spending those longer hours out of doors. Trying to maintain a consistent level of activity may help keep your metabolism running smoothly, however, avoiding less obvious chemical changes in your body which can lead to depression during the winter months.

Diet

Our tendency in the winter months is to alter our diets toward more substantial, heavier meals, and it’s no surprise as to why: Fresh vegetables are less plentiful (and more expensive), and we instinctively seek richer foods to carry us through the less plentiful supply of our summer fare.

Eating summery foods may be more difficult or expensive in the winter months to do regularly, but the occasional meal might be just the ticket when you’re feeling down—your metabolism is less likely to slow you down than from richer/fattier foods, and eating foods you associate with summer (like barbeque!) can help mentally, too.

Music and Environment Sounds

A less obvious reminder of warmer months can be the music we listen to—certain songs (or styles of music) may be season-appropriate, suggestive of a certain sound (sometimes quite literally), or remind us of good times spent during the warmer months. In some cases the reverse approach can work well, too: I love listening to cool, wintery music when snuggled into a warm bed, or cozy in a big hoodie on a cold day.

Environmental audio is something relatively new to me—at least, in any sort of acceptable form. Audio CDs can be nice for the very occasional listener, but for the acute of hearing, they sound awful after the first few listens because you memorise the sounds and always know what’s coming next (and you hear the CD repeat every hour or so). Sound effect generators like Boodler are a superior solution in my opinion—the only problem is, you need to write them yourself (at least, for now).

I’ve written some soundscapes that remind me of summer, but I always want to do more: To do that I need more time, and access to better recording gear (I’ve discovered the hard way that any sort of cardiod/hypercardiod mic stinks for recording any nature sounds that you can’t get within a few inches of). The few that I have now involve thunderstorms, crickets, and spring peepers. Eventually I’d like to incorporate other insect sounds (especially the cicada variant known as dog-day harvest flies, common to this latitude) and birdsong, and create a complete time-of-day sensitive boreal forest simulation. Anyone wishing to learn more and/or possibly contribute to this effort is encouraged to contact me.

Environmental Imagery

Anything from a desktop wallpaper that reminds you of warmer days right up to a mural or a visit to a local greenhouse can lend a little cheer and colour to your day when everything seems monochromatic out of doors.

Do you have any ideas on how to beat the winter blues? Share them with me by posting a comment!