Tag Archives: winter

Avoiding Winter Burnout at Work and Home

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With winter officially here, it can be easier than ever to feel stressed, overwhelmed, and even depressed. About 5% of adults experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), making this time of year hard enough to deal with, already.

On top of the typical pitfalls of the winter season, this year has truly been unlike any other, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are still going strong for many people across the country.

Between the aftermath of the holidays, the cold, dark days, the endless negative news cycle, and feeling overwhelmed at work, it’s easy to experience burnout. That can leave you feeling tired, gloomy, and unmotivated.

Thankfully, there are some things you can do to avoid burning out both at work and at home. Giving your mental and emotional health a boost can help you to get through this season, and even learn to enjoy it. Let’s look at a few ways to accomplish that this year.

Learn to Manage Your Stress

Everyone deals with stress. So, it might feel impossible to get rid of it, completely. But, too much stress can wreak havoc on your mental and physical health, contributing to everything from heart disease to high blood pressure. Excessive stress can also lead to mental health conditions like depression or anxiety.

While you may not be able to eliminate stress and anxiety from your life this season, there are ways to reduce them. One of the best things you can do is to avoid as many triggers as possible. Determine what it is that causes you to feel stressed and anxious. Some common causes include:

  • Caffeine
  • Alcohol
  • Family
  • World issues
  • Money problems
  • Health problems

Problems with work or even the death of a loved one can also contribute to stress and anxiety. This year, more than ever, many people have experienced multiple triggers on that list, as well as more personal factors that have contributed to higher stress levels.

If you can’t completely avoid these triggers, finding ways to reduce your stress levels is important. Keeping your home clean and organized can help, as well as spending time with family members and other people you love (safely). Being able to talk about how you’re feeling can make a big difference, so don’t hesitate to create a plan of action when it comes to directly battling stress.

Make Your Home a Sanctuary

Many people have had to combine their work and home lives this year. You may have had to start working remotely for the first time. While that can sound appealing at first, it can be difficult to achieve a healthy work-life balance when your office is in your living room. One way to spark creativity and make you feel more motivated about working, whether you’re home or in your actual office, is to make a few simple upgrades. Get a standing desk to keep you moving throughout the day, or decorate your office in a way that inspires you and makes you feel more energetic.

If you’re working out in the field, or you’re a frontline worker of any kind, it’s extremely important to be able to separate your work life from your home life. Many frontline workers, like nurses, have to deal with immense amounts of daily stress as they see the firsthand effects of this pandemic. One of the ways to manage that stress is to get a full night’s sleep.

Whether you need to separate your remote working life from your free time or you’re an essential worker who needs to feel relaxed at home, taking the time to turn your living space into a sanctuary can be worth it!

You don’t have to make major changes to your home or routine to achieve a spa-like experience. If you’re trying to find more ways to relax and pamper yourself, consider:

  • Aromatherapy and bath oils
  • Body scrubs
  • Clay masks
  • Hand and foot care

Turn on some soothing music, draw a warm bath, and light some candles. By creating an environment of pure relaxation, you can almost immediately reduce your stress, feel more energized, and get better sleep, which can keep you going throughout the day no matter what career path you’re on.

Practice Self-Care

Self-care has become a popular buzzword over the last few years. Unfortunately, because of its popularity, it’s lost some of the true meaning. Self-care is more than just an idea, it’s something that needs to be put into practice. It also might look different for everyone, since we all enjoy different things.

Taking care of yourself can help to reduce stress levels and promote mental and emotional wellbeing. Again, it’s different for everyone, but there are a few common threads of self-care that can benefit almost anyone, including:

  • Eating well
  • Getting enough sleep
  • Drinking plenty of water (yes, you still need it in the winter!)
  • Keeping up an exercise routine
  • Being aware of any deficiencies in your diet

By taking care of your mind and body throughout the winter, you can beat the fatigue and exhaustion that sometimes tries to pull you down.

All of these solutions are beneficial when it comes to managing the winter blues and feeling as though you could burn out at any moment. While this year has been harder than most, these tips can still help you to get through the snowy season, so you can feel more energetic, motivated, and upbeat.

Snowman Table Setting

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snowman settingWith a salad plate and a dinner plate add snowflakes, M&M’s (for eyes, mouth and buttons) and a napkin folded for the bow tie.  Add a carrot for the nose and (not pictured) add a paper cutout of a top hat. I love the table runner of large snowflakes.

Easter Fun In The Snow

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1491754_745050055527484_4116727764355239130_nFor those of you still in cold weather you have to find some fun in the weather you are having and I hope this finds you with a new smile.

Flowering Shrubs Guide By Guest Writer FlowersByPost.Org.UK

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Flowering Shrubs GuideThere are quite a few flowering shrubs which can make your garden look particularly pretty and any landscape much more appealing. If you live in a temperate region, it’s easier to grow and take care of such a shrub. The following list is based on the seasonal interest of each flowering shrub. This interest is not only based on the blooms of the shrub, but also on their shape, branching pattern and any other striking peculiarity. The blooming times of the following shrubs vary depending on the region they are growing at. Most people purchase flowering shrubs that they can enjoy all year long so this is the main focus of the list as well.

Spring Flowering Shrubs: There are many lovely shrubs which are in bloom in spring, so it won’t be hard to pick one. Forsythia is a shrub with bright yellow blooms which will beautify your garden from the very first days of spring. Some growers even use methods for forcing the flowers to bloom before spring has come. Some of the most famous flowering shrubs are azaleas and rhododendrons, with some of their types being evergreen. Another popular choice is the lilac, which is a late-comer, but it’s one of the perfect heralds of spring. The lilac has a lovely scent, whose aroma floats in the air everywhere around it and it’s quite recognizable all over the world. Its pretty petals will make your garden a true fairytale spot.

Summer Flowering Shrubs: If you live to the south, you can enjoy the blooms of the mountain laurel, a symbol of the transition from spring to the warmest season. In areas Flowering Shrubs Guide2where the laurel is native to, it can be mostly found in the forests. Another flowering shrub for the summer is the Rose of Sharon, which is in bloom in the second half of summer. The shrub is related to the Hibiscus, but its blossoms are not as large.

Some of these flowering shrubs double in fall and winter too – not devoid of interest. With outstanding autumn colours they add beauty to every landscape.

Fall Shrubs: Shrubs may be smaller than trees, but in autumn it rarely matters, as these following types look lovely. The Viburnum shrub produces white blooms in spring and attractive fall foliage too. They also have clusters of bluish berries which makes them even prettier. The Oakleaf Hydrangea is all about its beautiful clusters of white flowers during the summer. In Fall, on the other hand, its foliage turns purple, red or orangey-bronze – the perfect autumn colours for your garden.

Winter shrubs: Perhaps winter is not the best season for plants, shrubs and flowers, but it shouldn’t result in you neglecting your garden. In terms of landscape interest it’s quite poor, so the focus is usually on the unusual branching patterns. One of the examples of a winter shrub with Flowering Shrubs Guide3a peeling bark is the oakleaf hydrangea, thus making the shrub a triple winner – popular in summer, fall and winter. Another shrub worth a mention is Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick. Because of its rather unusual branching pattern this shrub is often called “contorted filbert” and “corkscrew hazel”. Many people who have this shrub in their garden his shrub in their garden decorate it for Christmas and New Year’s. It’s a good prop for hanging Halloween lanterns and decoration as well.