Activity squelches boredom, blues of winter nights

Philosophers, authors and poets have written about how weather and different seasons affect the moods of people.

Social scientists also believe that there is a correlation between certain types of weather and seasons and a person’s emotional disposition and behavior.

Into each life some rain must fall, but gray overcast skies that persistently linger often produce a corresponding feeling of bleak, even depressive moods.

Spring and summer days with many outdoor activities, longer daylight hours, and its comfortable climate are generally associated with an increase in optimism and energy. Some people, through, prefer cold; some thrive on overcast days with lots of rain. Cabin fever isn’t in their vocabulary.

But for those individuals who tend to experience waning enthusiasm and even begin to sense an increase of melancholia during the fall and winter months, here are several suggestions for transcending the elements and utilizing the time.

• Try to mentally associate different seasons of the year with traditionally happy times. If you enjoy football and hunting, fall and winter months will stimulate and heighten your anticipation of forthcoming events. If you prefer indoor hobbies, the fall and winter provide a good time to relax your pace and leisurely begin to do needlework, arts, crafts, etc.
• Experience the special treats nature has in store for each season. Observe the change in Mother Nature’s host of vivid colored leaves, look at different kinds of cloud formations, and bask in the beauty of radiant autumn sunsets.
• Gather the family around a warm campfire on a crisp, cool evening for a wiener roast.
• Stretch out in front of the fireplace; listen to the chatter of family members playing parlor games.
• Read. Indulge yourself by making a list of all the books you want to read. Place them by your favorite chair. Enjoy each one as you replenish the stack.
• Do like my friend who scrubs and polishes doing her “spring cleaning” on the coldest and dreariest winter days enjoying the idea that she is saving those days for being outdoors in the spring sunshine.
• Past all those recipes you clipped and put aside.
• Bake and freeze some of your favorite recipes.
• Surprise your family with a new dish.
• Preserve family photos and mementos in a scrapbook.
• Write long-overdue letters to friends and shut-ins.
• Reach out and touch someone. Call a friend, visit nursing homes.
• Clean a closet and share with those less fortunate.
• Some people escape the winter months by taking a vacation in a warm climate with lots of sunshine and blue skies. If you can’t escape, look at travel books. Plan a future trip.
• Develop a new interest. The LeCrone family, whose least favorite months are January and February, began following the Baylor basketball team several years ago. Now avid fans, we look forward to bundling up in our winter garb and heading for the Heart O’ Texas Coliseum to see a lively spectacle provided by Jim Haller and his team.
• Make your lists of “things to do” early in the fall. Refer to it when inclimate weather and long winter nights arrive. Developing a plan is essential. Having something to look forward to, and developing an active interest in some activity stimulates everyone and makes life more meaningful.
• Make every day count
• Start now, and remember spring often comes very early in Central Texas.

Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1984