While winter brings its own kind of beauty, it also brings a distinct challenge to mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being

2 min read

Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
    I will praise him again—
    my Savior and my God! - Psalm 42:5-6

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, in the throes of winter, the blahs and blues associated with little to no sunshine, long nights, and cold temps are upon us. We are finding that is hard to be cheery against a backdrop of constant grey.

We have written before about how weather can affect the way we feel. It is well-documented; weather-related depression is, as they say, a thing.

If this sounds familiar and you happen to be facing a merciless string of dreary days this winter (and moving to Florida isn’t an option), here are a few ideas to help you cope:

1. Focus on one unchanging attribute of God. Call to mind one of your favorite adjectives for the Lord (for example, He is loving, supremely loyal, patient, sovereign, holy, good, all-powerful, etc.) Make a mental sticky note of the one attribute and don’t throw it away. What was true of God on your last bright and promising day is still true of Him on your dark and gloomy days.
2. Include in your prayer time an acknowledgement that the dreariness is getting to you. There are a couple of reasons why this is important: (a) it builds your trust in the Lord when you open up this way; and (b) it provides you with a safe space for sharing something you might not feel safe sharing elsewhere. If you’re low in spirit, let the Lord be the first Person you tell.
3. Go out of your way to encourage someone. Don’t let the dreariness put you in thinking-only-of-me mode. A proven way for renewing your outlook is to serve someone, even in the smallest of ways. It’s amazing how a kind text, a little gift, a listening ear, or maybe a verbal compliment can lift the spirits of both the recipient and the giver.

The winter blues are no fun, especially when the dreariness seems to never end. But it will end soon enough. The clouds that presently envelope us will eventually give way to blue sky and glorious sunshine.

In the meantime, may the One who is the same in all seasons lift your spirits and give you peace.

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.