As a former professional angsty teenage boy, I know how low one’s mental health can get during the dreaded winter months. I could have probably gone to the Olympics if rotting in bed and listening to the voices in my head was a contested sport. I am not a doctor, but with the days falling short and having no rational justification to go outside, many people find themselves shriveled up into a shell of themselves during the gloomy hibernal season. It sucks, plainly said.
As mentioned, I’ve been there, and I am positive so many of you lovely readers have as well. As the snow slushes upon my boots and the crisp air claims hold of my lungs, I’ve been thinking a lot about the emotions that come with winter, and how one can flourish out of it. No one wants to feel small, and I truly believe the answer to the winter blues is a happy dose of self-confidence.
Emotion in general is nothing short of a positive feedback loop. It’s a cyclical pattern of feeling emotions, marinating in that emotion and subsequently feeling whatever you already are feeling tenfold.
The key to rising out of the hole is pure, unadulterated authenticity. And isn’t that a beautiful thing? Despite the limitations that the season brings, winter should not serve as a disruption from doing the things you love. When trapped in the house or dorm all day, I find I tend to spiral inwards. I look too deeply at myself and all that could be wrong. Screw that! Keep yourself busy, and if anything, use the supposed isolation to practice what you find productive in peace.
To keep active by participating in the hobbies and interests we love is to reassure confidence in ourselves. When alone, spend your time building yourself up, and being your own best friend. Play the guitar, learn how to draw, work out. Feel proud when you accomplish a goal, no matter how small, and let that feeling linger.
The most egregious and counterintuitive thing we can do during our bouts of sadness is to validate it with music that matches its mood. Phoebe Bridgers, Noah Kahan and a host of melancholic artists are wonderful in moderation, but I fear we must escape them if we want any chance of forward progression. Hey, I love “Punisher” just as much as the next guy, but not a soul has ever listened to that whole album and thought, “You know what, I feel a lot happier now.” It’s so easy to fall into the pit of sad music, but it is positivity that prevails in the darkest times of our lives. Play music that inspires you to get up, be alive and move around. As Mac Miller once said, “A life ain’t a life ’til you live it.”
While writing this article, I was reminded of the beautiful word apricity: the warmth of the sun in winter. It is an ancient and archaic word, but one that provides a wonderful summation of how we survive the gray, melancholic days of this long year. We apricate. We must bask in the sunshine of our livelihood and derive joy in the simple measures that make us happy. It is vital that despite how easy it is to look down on ourselves, we know the single-digit degree days will soon be replaced by the warmth of sweet spring. Before you know it, leaving your dorm without a jacket will feel normal. The flowers will grow and we’ll make as many wishes as we want on the dandelions. Before you know it, the world will be lovely. For now, apricate.