Is our endless winter weather starting to get you down? Is the endless fields of white and snow falls dampening your mood? If so, you’re not alone—and you’re not a hopeless case. There are lots of ways to beat a case of the winter blues—without resorting to mindless snacking and tub after tub of ice cream.
Finish a get-away space…in your basement.
family with dog playing on carpetSometimes the best cure for cabin fever is to get away from the same space you spend the majority of your indoor time in (i.e. living room, bedroom, etc.) In many cases, you don’t have to look far for that new hang-out; an unfinished basement is an ideal area to turn into a man cave, game room, family room—whatever space you need or want. To prepare for your new space, make sure you’ve fixed any flooding, water, or humidity issues in your basement; you don’t want to build a beautiful space only to have it damaged by water. Some water is going to remain in your basement, as basement slabs are notoriously porous. Keep this in mind as you choose flooring for your new basement hangout. Not all flooring works in these conditions; we’ve compiled a list of excellent flooring options for basements in our recent blog post. Once you’ve narrowed down your options, visit a local flooring store to see your flooring options in person so you can get your get-away started—and finished.
Start your garden.
young plant on pot with trowel on soil as a cabin fever remedyBring a little green into your life. Get a head start on your spring gardens by starting your seedlings indoors. One clever idea we found was to use old egg cartons and eggs for your new garden. A few months before you’re ready to plant, start stashing your empty egg cartons and ask friends and family to do the same. Save the egg shells from your morning breakfasts and plant your seeds in a little bit of dirt inside the egg. In the spring, you’ll have a seedling that can be planted right into the ground—egg shell and all.
Organize.
Get a jump on your spring cleaning now by purging and organizing your closets, basements, and other storage areas. As you pull items off the shelves, or go through boxes, make piles of items that you want to store together, or of items that you want and don’t want. Donate anything you don’t need any time soon, and put everything back in labeled containers or in an easy-to-find system. A few hours of your time now means more time outside when the weather gets nice.
Plan a get-away.
If you feel like the walls are closing in, start planning an out: a mini-vacation or a few days away. Taking the time to plan a vacation gives you a goal to look forward to, and a project to plan when you’re feeling low. Can’t afford a cruise? Plan a series of short day trips or a day at a local pool or water park.
Tackle that home project you’ve always been meaning to start.
remodeled kitchen that adds valueDo you have an outdated bathroom that you can’t stand? A kitchen with cabinets that don’t close any more? Are you sick of that stained off-white carpet? Start planning your next project before you get the urge to go outside and enjoy the beautiful spring days. If you want to keep your budget low, visit the Y’s Way Flooring in Lake Mills for DIY flooring discounted for large square footage jobs.
Go sledding or skiing, or build a snowman, or…
Head outside and take a walk or find a fun winter activity to do. Time outdoors not only gets your body moving, but can also do wonders to help you overcome your bout of cabin fever.
