By Anna Lowenthal, Opinions Editor
Q: Dear Anna, how do I make it through the next six weeks of winter?
A: There’s no denying it – once Christmas and New Year’s are over, there’s pretty much nothing to do besides sit and wait for springtime to come around. Unfortunately, that wait can get pretty agonizing.
I mean, why do February and the first half of March even exist? Okay, there is Valentine’s Day, but even that can be an extreme downer to those of us without relationships. Can’t we just hide in some bear cave and come out when the weather is nice again?
The answer to that is no, but there are some things you can do to survive the winter blues.
Since none of us will be spending too much time outside, we’ll have a little extra time to ourselves. Why not pick up a new hobby or activity?
When the weather is cold, there’s nothing wrong with knitting, crocheting or weaving to your heart’s content. And you’ll definitely feel the snuggly, warm love of something you made for yourself. What’s better than a personal treat around Valentine’s Day, right?
Don’t stay cooped up in your dorm room for too long, though. Believe me, you don’t want to become plagued with an anti-social attitude and then come out of your dorm-hole with mustard stains on your shirt and a “three-months-and-counting” beard – especially you, girls.
When you’re feeling depressed and you can’t seem to remember what sunlight feels like, go out with your friends. I know that it can sometimes take some hefty persuasion – or even the promise of cookies – to get you out of your room, but it truly is uplifting to go out and about, even if it is just for a little walk to Kroger.
If you’ve got a routine, it’s time to mix things up a bit. Nothing breaks the monotonous, boring, day-to-day pattern of wintertime better than a little spontaneity.
Any day is a good one to do something unexpected. Go to a movie on a whim. Take yourself and a few friends out to dinner away from campus for a night. Break out the board games and get a group of your favorite gamers together. Feel like baking a cake for no particular reason? Winter is the time to do it.
Something that can be helpful on even the bleakest of winter days is looking toward the future. Make some exciting plans to see a concert, go on a picnic or take a weekend trip home when springtime comes around. That way, while you’re trudging through the last weeks of winter, you’ll have something to look forward to that will make the final stretch a little bit more bearable.
Winter is great for a few weeks, but it doesn’t take long for spring fever to set in. But whatever you do, don’t give up hope! Hang in there, everyone. Warm weather and sunny days are coming sooner than you might think.