Water, Light, and a Truce with February
February is always the longest month, for me.
Every year, as we inch through January — even though the days are technically getting longer — the lack of daylight starts to get to me. By February, I’m usually in a funk that only the coming of spring can cure.
So this winter, I decided to try to get ahead of the Late Winter Blahs.
I’ve been getting up, bundling up, and going outside with my coffee to sit on the porch and soak up whatever dim, gray, disheartening light the season has to offer.
And I am absolutely stunned to report that:
It is working.
My mood is better than is typical for me this time of year. I’m struggling less in the mornings. And — this is the part that truly astonishes me — I actually look forward to those quiet moments in the cold, gray winter air.
The other thing I’ve been trying is (deep sigh) hydration.
I’m a coffee gal, despite having to switch to decaf for Reasons a couple of years ago. Hot coffee is still the proper way to start the day.
But They Say — and They are the Authority, am I right? — that a glass of water in the morning is better than caffeine.
So I tried that too.
I hate it when They’re right.
But there you go.
For the first time in decades, I feel optimistic about February.
