7 Ways to Beat The Winter Blues

February can be such a tricky time of year in Scotland. The days are short and the winter can feel never ending. Without the build up to the Christmas festivities to distract us, January and February can feel very long months indeed. Added to this, we seem to have had as much ‘weather’ as climate change can throw at us this year, from prolonged freezing days and nights to heavy rainfall, flash floods and high winds.

So we have set our minds to listing the things that help us through these bleak months and we are optimistically sharing them with you so that while we wait patiently for signs of spring, we can all find ways to feel warm and comforted.

One – Go Outside

However tempting it is to stay indoors (the lethargy at this time of year can be hard to overcome), we always feel better after a walk. We try to look for pauses in the inclement weather but if they are not forthcoming, we just wrap up warmly (lots of layers, hats, scarves, gloves, waterproofs) and head off over the hills with our three dogs. We are lucky to have some lovely farmland walks direct from our door and we often give ourselves the treat of a hot chocolate (with a touch of warming chilli) to look forward to on our return. There’s nothing like the feeling after a blustery winter walk, cheeks pink and freezing, toes and fingers tingling; a good reminder that we’re still alive and kicking, getting a much needed boost of vitamin D and that sense of energy returning.

Two – Eat Comforting, Nourishing Food

This time of year is all about simplicity and comfort in our kitchen. Our favourite comfort foods are things like lamb and pearl barley casserole, pea and ham soup with dumplings and mushroom and kale lasagne (with the focus on our own organic meat and vegetables). All the kind of dishes that are guaranteed to give your body the central heating it needs. We’re big fans of nursery puddings too; bread and butter pud, treacle sponge, and rice pudding. All the more reason to keep those daily walks up though!

Three – Cosy in Front of the Log Burner with a Good Book

With the short days and limited daylight to do the outside jobs, we allow ourselves guilt free time snuggled in front of the log burner reading our books. We have a backlog of books from over the year plus new books from our Jólabókaflóð. It can feel indulgent but we find it an important way to nourish our minds and spirits. We have a library of good reads and always lots of recommendations to share with our guests.

Four – Be Creative

There is something very satisfying about spending time on creative projects. It doesn’t all have to be self-led either, sometimes it’s very motivating to be taught by a good teacher. My weekly stained glass class in Leadhills resumed last week and it was great to get started on a new project under Fiona Foley‘s expert instruction. It can be very rewarding to learn a new skill, so take a look at our basket making course that’s coming up in March or why not consider a Creative Retreat here at The Lint Mill to spend quality time with us on your own projects?

Five – Spend Precious Time with a Loved One

Spending time with loved ones is always precious but there’s something about this time of year that invites us to reflect and plan. Making plans together for the year ahead, big plans and small, is a natural thing to do and can give us the opportunity to insert little punctuation marks into our lives, giving us things to look forward to as we journey through the coming year.

Six – Turn Off your ‘Phone and Enjoy a Digital Detox

There are so many other things to do (even in this simple list) that you may even consider switching off your ‘phone and enjoying a brief digital detox. Leave social media behind and take a short break from what Brené Brown calls the ‘culture of scarcity’; the feelings of ‘never enough’; never good enough, never perfect enough, never thin enough, never powerful enough, never successful enough, never smart enough and on and on. This is the real and exhausting curse of comparison in contemporary culture perpetuated by social media. So, turn off that ‘phone and breathe!

Seven – Book a Stay at The Lint Mill

Well we had to include this one didn’t we? We’re offering a little incentive to help in January and February, so take a look at the special offer page on our website.