The Five Best Ways to Spend Your Extra Weeks of Winter
As the winter starts to dwindle down and it becomes bearable to walk outside without wearing six layers of clothing, it might be time to have some end-of-winter fun. We decided put together a few fun activities to keep in mind to help you fully enjoy the rest of the season.
Read, or Re-read, a Classic Book
If you skimmed or used the Cliff’s Notes for that high school or college classic, re-read or read it now. Even if you choose to pick up Gone with the Wind or Great Expectations again, your perspective on this read will be different from the first time you read the work. Your recent divorce might prompt a new look at Miss Haversham. A recent visit to a southern plantation adds new life to Scarlett O’Hara’s adventures. Or choose a classic business book like Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and refresh your memory.
Visit a Museum
A leisurely stroll through the local art museum or natural history museum is a great way to spend time indoors when winter weather howls outside. If you happen to live in a smaller town with no museum, you can view photographs of exhibits in museums around the world on the web from the comfort of your office chair. Don’t discount the smaller museums like the local nature center with their collection of odd wildlife.
Sing
Grab the hairspray microphone and belt it your favorite Broadway show tune in front of the mirror in the morning. Sing in the shower. Sing along with your teenager’s music in the car and embarrass him and his friends.
Singing releases endorphins, the chemicals in your brain that make you feel good. Singing, especially when using deep breathing techniques to support long phrases, works your diaphram, increases your oxygen and reduces stress. Studies have shown that people who sing as overall happier than their silent counter parts. Go ahead and sing away those winter blues!
Organize Your Office
Do your spring-cleaning now, so when the glorious spring weather returns, you can run out and play. You probably inherited your space, your furniture and even your desk accessories from someone else, but to be fully functional and organized, you need to make the space your own. Think about your office as a blank slate. Do you want your back to the window, or do you prefer your desk angled so you can stare at the sunshine and cityscape as you contemplate big decisions? Does this desk still meet your needs or would a smaller or larger desk be better? Rearrange furniture to more advantageous positioning.
If you are a visual person, color-code your files to make them easier to locate. Create space under your desk to stretch your legs and kick off your heels by organizing electric cords into neat bundles using electrical ties.
Survey your desktop. The things you use most frequently should be within arms’ length. That leather blotter calendar has probably seen better days and isn’t getting much use since your calendar became electronic. Dust and move mementos and photos you enjoying seeing to locations where you can see them but they no longer interfere with your daily tasks.
Sample New Recipes
Part of the trouble with winter is boredom. Stuck inside on a cold and dreary day, or worse stranded due to heavy snowfall, people get edgy. Winter is the perfect time to try new recipes. If weather makes it hard to get to your favorite Indian restaurant across town, try your hand at cooking with curry at home. Websites such as www.cooks.com, www.foodnetwork.com and www.allrecipes.com allow you to search by cuisine, ingredients, cooking method and more to find the perfect recipe to sample today. If your experimentation results in a few dozen cookies to bring to the office, share the happiness and help someone else to banish their winter blues.
TAGS: winter