Banishing the Winter Blues

Winter is on its way for some of us, which for many people means waking up in the dark and coming home from work after nightfall. For those who work long hours, it may feel as if they don’t see any light and this can have serious consequences.

It is a known fact that one of the most common causes of depression is Seasonally Adjusted Depression or SAD, caused by the lack of light during the winter months.

But before you run to the doctor to get some antidepressants or seek expensive therapy, let’s first try a homegrown, natural remedy that might make you feel better, make your home into a more pleasant place, save you a lot of time, money, and won’t become a serious addiction (or at least not one that can cause you any harm!)

One of the best ways to banish the blues is to change your surroundings and atmosphere. There is a famous expression, “a change is as good as a rest,” and this can be done very easily. You don’t need to move house or start buying a whole load of new, expensive furniture. All you need to do is brighten up your home. Making your home a more cheerful place will make you into a more cheerful person, which will make the rest of your family happy too.

Here are some tips on how to brighten up your home easily and cheaply:

Redesign the layout of the rooms in your house. Move portable furniture such as couches, chairs, and tables into different places. Experiment a bit, and you will probably create a different, nicer layout. And even if it does not look much different, the mere fact that you have made a simple change can give a new, refreshing look to a room.


Get some nice, inexpensive accessories, such as a new area rug. Area rugs can add character, make the wood flooring look like new, and define different parts of the room. They can also cover worn patches of carpet flooring, removing the need to recarpet the whole room. Choose a tasteful design, such as an oriental rug, floral rug, or bamboo rug, depending on the character of the room in question.


Say it with flowers! Vases and bouquets of flowers (which can be purchased in most places these days even during the winter months) make any room look bright, alive, and cheerful.


Try brightening up the lighting in the rooms. Get some new light fittings or lampshades. A bright, light room will do a lot to banish the blues.


Find some new wall hangings or pictures to add some color and interest to the walls. New mirrors are also great, adding an extra dimension and space to any room.


If you are feeling really ambitious, repaint the walls. A new coat of paint always gives a feeling of newness and is very refreshing.