Winter Blahs

Winter used to be my favorite season, but recently it's also been one of those seasons that makes me feel, well, pretty blah.  Part of it is missing the weather back home.  I know everyone in Mass is piled under mountains of snow right now, but I'd prefer that to this frozen, snowless place.  I actually like snow, as much of a hassle as it can be.  There's something refreshing about a snow storm, and seeing the dead earth frosted over with white.  You just don't get that in Texas!

Because of the cold temperatures we've been having, I haven't had much of a chance to go outside and get some fresh air in the past couple of days.  My classes yesterday were canceled as the store closed early.  Tonight they may be canceled because of the blackouts hitting across town.  That makes it kind of difficult to get outside and do pretty much anything.  Being cooped up makes me even more depressed and crazy, so what's a girl to do?

Today I'm determined to beat the winter blahs.  I'm going to kick back with good food, some hot chocolate, or maybe some tea, and watch some videos for work related stuff.  I might even do something crazy like play the Wii.  It's a great chance to play Twilight Princess or Final Fantasy: Crystal Bearers.  I know, it's not exactly good for me stuff, but I find the puzzles pretty engaging.  That's one thing I love about games on the Wii.  Then there's always sudoku on Brain Age 2 for the DS.  There's nothing wrong with keeping your mind fit, right?  I may be taking the day to sit around and not do terribly much, but at least I'm doing something good for me.

I think that's one thing everyone seems to forget about healthy living.  Living healthy doesn't mean eating healthy and staying active every single day.  There's always room for a chill day here and there, and it helps to balance out physical stimulation with plenty of mental stimulation.  We work so hard on eating balanced diets to maintain our own health, but we don't look at how other aspects of our lives balance out.  Sure, physical activity is healthy and great for the body, but without stimulating the mind you can easily live out a stereotype.  Physically fit and active people aren't known for being particularly brilliant.  Still, a strong and healthy mind can research more efficiently, something essential for anyone who wants to live a healthier lifestyle as data is constantly changing, think more clearly, and make more intelligent decisions.  Keeping our mind active means having a better ability to think quick.

What about video games?  They're just mindless entertainment, right?  Well, some games truly are.  Some games are just about killing the bad guy with no sense of strategy or memorizing the combination of buttons for that really cool move.  Yes, memorizing a combination will help the memory, but that's not what I'm talking about.  Puzzle games keep you stimulated and active.  Games with complex story lines and things to figure out often keep players thinking, which is good for training the mind.  Puzzle games are the perfect example of this.

Even those "mindless" games have their place and use.  Sometimes it's nice just to kick back and relax, especially when life is stressful.  Playing something mindless can be just what it takes to release the stress from a long and tiring day.  It can be a way to take your mind off of things to come back to it later with more clarity.  Yes, meditation is also a way to do this, but not everyone genuinely enjoys meditation.  Video games and "mindless" diversions can also become a social activity, something that meditation really isn't, fulfilling the human need for social interaction.

Cold days like these are perfect for kicking back and relaxing.  We always used to say we were sitting at home, trying to stay warm.  Personally, I think of it more like having a low-key day.  I can focus on working on my computer, doing some relaxing things, maybe even curling up with a book or my knitting later on.  I might even be really daring and take a nap!