People throughout much of the United States will remember the winter of 2013-2014. You have recent memories of shoveling snow, driving through ice, snow, and slush, staying home with the kids when they had a day off, and worrying about the safety of people you know. Those of you who do not live in Southern California now know what a Polar Vortex is.
Psychologically this has been the toughest kind of winter to endure. In most parts of the United States it snowed every few days, so that when one storm had cleared another one came. The weather was consistently cold in most areas of the United States. Consequentially people felt that they never had a break from shoveling, hazardous driving, rearranging work schedules, making arrangements for the children, and high heating bills.
When people feel stressed they hope that the situation that is stressing them will end soon. This Winter has been relentless without a break until late February. Recently The Winter of 2009-2010 had record snowfall, but it mostly fell in three blizzards and there was a three-week mild spell in January. This winter just continued with snow every few days and continuous cold.
There are coping tools that you can use to handle the frequent stressors of winter. The best way is to find activities that you enjoy. Listen to your favorite music, get a massage , call people and go out socially even if it is a hassle to put coats, gloves and boots on. When you stay in the house you do not get the benefits of sunlight and fresh air, and you do not feel connected to the world. This can lead to depression. Having houseplants and pets can be an antidote to depression. Get a massage , meditate, or do something that will get the blood flowing. All of these activities help to alleviate depression, anxiety , and anger.
Planning the future is another way to make the winter easier. Many people plan their summer vacations while it is still winter. Then you have several months to look forward to it.
Many people outside of northern latitudes judge winter as a bad time. However, it is the judging itself that makes winter seem depressing. If you just accept the fact that it is now winter but the snow and the cold will end this can make it easier. You can look for things to like about winter that you don't get during the rest of the year. For example, you could notice the way the snow and ice look on the ground and the tree branches. You could appreciate the exercise when shoveling and the good feeling you get when you have completed it. Some people actually like driving in snow because they feel like they are meeting a challenge and conquering. It is all contingent on how you view it.
My website is www.phenomenalmemory.com
Frank Healy is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Life Coach. He is one of about 50 people who have been classified as having Hyperthymesia by the University of California. Frank participated in their reserch studies because he remebers every day of his life since he was six years old. He is now 53. His memory of each day includes the day of the week, the weather in his locale, news events and personal experiences. Recalling so much in his life had it's advantages and disadvantages. The advantages include recall of every happy experience he had with friends, family, school, and his wife. The corollary of that is that he remembers all of the negative things. Bad days at work and school, slights from people, bad days at jobs, romantic breakups etc. Before he began his own journey he would recall bad memories with the same emotional intensity as if he was experiencing it now. He had learn to let go of the feelings. He now counsels and coaches people to heal from the ill affects of their own traumatic and unpleasant memories. This can help people be happier and move on to a successful present and future.
Frank lives with his wife in Dennisville, New Jersey. He is in private practice at Associates For Life Enhancement in Northfield, New Jersey. Frank enjoys going to the beach, reading, writing, playing quizzo with friends (It's a trivia game) and playing ball wth his grandsons.