Sure, winter social plans sound simple until it’s actually winter. And with winter, there’s enough you’re dealing with, be it winter home maintenance, keeping your hair healthy, your skin too, making sure you can plan for emergency weather (like blizzards and ice storms). There’s enough to juggle that you don’t have to worry about when it comes to the warmer months, and being social is one of them.
Like, back in July, grabbing coffee sounds normal. Cute, even. But in January? Now there’s a coat, gloves, dark skies at 4:30, sidewalks that may or may not turn into a giant accident that could put you in a cast, and that very convincing little voice saying, “Or, okay, staying home sounds fine too.” This isn’t just seniors; this is everyone, basically any adult, probably teens, who feel this way too.
And sometimes staying home is fine. Who doesn’t like a quiet night, a blanket, a warm drink, and no pressure? But then winter starts doing that thing where one skipped plan becomes another skipped plan, and before long, the week has been mostly errands, TV, weather complaints, and maybe one conversation with the cashier at the grocery store.
Basically, winter isolates people, it causes those winter blues, and a lot of people deal with it (regardless of where they live, but it’s definitely more isolating in rural areas, though).
Stop Making Every Plan So Big
Now, it depends on where you live, of course, but for those living in a suburban area or a city, this one might get you because this is where people accidentally set themselves up to cancel. A dinner across town, in the dark, in bad weather, at a loud restaurant, with parking that’ll probably be annoying? Sure, it does sound like a lot, but why not have someone over instead? Why not have coffee somewhere close by? Neither of you should nor have to travel far.
Pick Places that aren’t Draining
Well, if you can, but that’s a big “if” here, of course, because it just depends on where you live. If you like living in a rural area, then what few places are available will probably be busy, but for urban and suburban areas, you have more choices usually. But if you have the chance, just be more picky because some indoor places are just too much in winter.
Like restaurants get loud, everyone’s packed inside, coats are thrown over chairs, dishes are clattering, music is playing, and half the conversation turns into, “What?” “Sorry?” “Say that again?” You especially see that in popular spots and bars. If you have hearing loss, then it’s going to be a lot worse here, so try to look for quieter places. Also, if you wear hearing aids, you should be a little aware of hearing aids in cold weather since cold temperatures can make the battery drop.
Just Try and Use Daylight
You can probably agree here that winter evenings can feel way too final. The sun disappears, the temperature drops, and once it’s dark, the internal debate of going out is a bit heavier. Like, why go out in the cold when you can be under a blanket? So that’s why you should just try and go out in the sunlight, at least that way you’re fighting off some potential winter blues here.
The owners and authors of Cinnamon Hollow are not doctors and this is in no way intended to be used as medical advice. We cannot be held responsible for your results. As with any product, service or supplement, use at your own risk. Always do your own research and consult with your personal physician before using.
Meg is an author at Cinnamon Hollow. She writes on a variety of topics sharing tips and ideas for daily life.
