The 2017-2018 holiday season has finally come to a close. Now we dig in and muddle our way through until the spring rains of April. Between now and then, a lot of us will have plenty of free time on our hands. This is especially true for seniors and shut-ins who more or less hibernate during the winter months.
Staying active during the winter is important for both physical and mental health. But if the weather prevents you from spending a lot of time outdoors, most of your activity will probably be limited to your home. So why not come up with ways to keep busy and accomplish something useful at the same time? If you put your mind to it, you might find lots of creative ways to do this. A few suggestions are listed below.
Rearrange and Redecorate
Do you remember when you were a kid and you had the opportunity to rearrange your bedroom? It was like an extra special holiday that wasn’t on the calendar. For some reason, we lose the thrill of rearranging at some point in adulthood. Many times that leads to homes in which the furniture hasn’t been moved for decades. Change that this winter.
If you haven’t rearranged in a while, take a weekend to redo your home. It will keep you busy, get you some much needed exercise, and perhaps even give you a new outlook on life. And while you are rearranging, do some redecorating as well. Pull some of those old knickknacks out of storage to replace things that have been out for years.
Clean out Your Closets
Short winter days are great days for cleaning out the closets. An excellent place to start are those closets that house most of your clothes. You may pull everything out only to find that you have some items you haven’t worn since the Reagan administration. It might be time to send those items off to your local thrift store or church clothing closet.
Educate Yourself
Is there a topic or two in the back of your mind you’ve always been curious to know more about? Great! Take some of your spare time this winter to educate yourself. Remember that you have an incredible resource right at your fingertips in the internet. You can get quite a bit of research done without ever leaving your home. On good weather days, you can take a trip to the local library to supplement what you’ve learned online. Depending on what you are studying, a trip to a local museum or heritage site might also be helpful.
Volunteer in the Community
One of the best things you can do to stay active during the winter months is volunteering in your community. In just about every city and town there are multiple opportunities for volunteerism. In fact, wherever you find nonprofit organizations you will find a need for volunteers.
You could volunteer at a local soup kitchen or clothes closet. You could offer to go visit seniors living in assisted living facilities. You could participate in something like Meals on Wheels. Of course, all of this is predicated on the understanding that you are not limited in your mobility by the weather.
There is a temptation to remain sedentary and disengaged during the dreary winter months. Do not allow yourself to succumb to that temptation. Instead, get busy and be productive. You will find your outlook on life is better as a result. You will also find time passes more quickly as you anticipate the eventual blooming of spring.