Feeling Blah? Escape the Winter Doldrums!

Are you feeling lethargic? Craving carbs (mac n’ cheese, anyone?)? Feeling extra sleepy (*yawn!*)? If those symptoms sound familiar, you may be experiencing the “winter doldrums.” And you’re not alone in this. Some estimates say as many as 25% of people have the “I-can’t-wait-for-winter-to-end” feeling and its accompanying symptoms. Of course, the further you are from the equator, the more cold and darkness you experience, the greater your risk.    

For approximately 11 million people, the winter doldrums turns into something more serious, seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. Researchers believe the much shorter days of fall and winter disrupts the bodies internal clock, our circadian rhythm. This causes your body to produce more melatonin, the sleep hormone, leaving you sluggish and even depressed.

Light therapy, anti-depressants, or a trip to somewhere sunny can help but there are other ways to beat the blues.

1. Eat serotonin-boosting foods like vegetables, fruits, proteins, and healthy fats.
2. Supplements like fish oil (omega-3s) and vitamin D.
3. Change your mindset about winter—get outside and enjoy the snow, cuddle up with hot chocolate and a good book, play board games with your friends and family.
4. Exercise—indoors or, if you can, outdoors. Exercise boosts your production of feel-good hormones, improving your mood.
5. Check something off your to-do list. Little projects can help you get through the winter and cut down on the winter blues.

But this one is our favorite:

1. Create anticipation—plan something fun to look forward to. Research shows that people generally get a “greater boost of happiness from the anticipation of the trip than from the trip itself.” 

And what trip could be better to plan than a week at Camp Infinity? Here at Ci, we’re already looking forward to the summer months and are even planning for them! Our excitement for summer started way back in the fall when we began to think about counselors, our program team, activities, and our summer theme! And the excitement certainly hasn’t died down as we count the days until camp starts.

To help you kick the winter doldrums, we will be featuring a series of blogs about what you can expect this summer at Ci. We hope this will help you anticipate camp as much as we are. 

Camp Infinity

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