5 Activities for Cold Dark Days to Brighten Your Day

Are you feeling like the warm, lovely summer weather is disappearing just a bit too quickly this year? Are the long dog days of staying out catching rays, looking for shade, becoming a waning memory?

Pretty soon, we’ll have to face the cold, bleak weather that the fall and winter bring. No need to panic, though; there’s still time to prepare!

When the weather starts acting less like an adventurous friend and more like a call to batten down our hatches (or run for the hills if we could get outdoors), it’s important to keep ourselves in that summery state of mind.

These are some easy, interactive and creative ways to help do just that.

1. Do a puzzle

Jigsaw puzzles are a great way to give your brain some low-stress exercise. Most importantly, you have a great time while doing it!

Work on it alone, or if you want to, ask a friend or family member to join you! With virtually any print, design, or shape available these days, you’re sure to find something to suit your fancy. Keep in mind the piece count when you decide which jigsaw you’re going to tackle; 24,000 pieces might be too much for one person to tackle!

2. Collage

Collaging evokes memories of childhood for most people. This doesn’t mean that it can’t be a fun activity (and even a productive one, at that!) for adults too.

Grab all of those old newspapers and magazines, scissors, and some paper and glue, and see what you come up with. Words, letters, colors, shapes, people, places… choose anything that takes you away for a little bit!

3. Paint or draw

Expressing yourself artistically is a great way to identify and let out your emotions. If the cold rainy weather is bringing you down, try showing that with some darker tones. Or, try using some bright yellows, greens, and oranges to lift your spirits.

Painting and drawing both tap into your creativity, so your mood should be elevated as you concentrate on your work.

4. Breakfast - at any time of the day!

Breakfast for dinner is a common trope, but there’s no reason we can’t lift those time restraints on the most important meal of the day.

With just some flour, milk, eggs and butter, you can make several different breakfast bases: pancake batter, waffle batter, biscuits. This will also give you a great opportunity to clean out your fridge and cupboard to find the perfect mix-in’s.

It’s always fun to shake things up to fight off the boredom and gloom of a dark, cold day. An impromptu breakfast might be just what you need.

5. Pick up a new book/Watch a new movie

We all have that one book we bought at the bookstore five years ago that we keep telling ourselves we’re going to read. On a rainy, gloomy day, you can kill two birds with one stone; dive into that book so you’ll stop nagging yourself, and improve your mood by escaping to its pages.

Reading will not only teach you something new, it will also be a distraction and practice in imagination to take a mental vacation from the bad weather.

This is just a few of the endless types of activities you can partake in when you’re stuck inside because of the rain, sleet, or snow.

We may not be able to control the weather, but if we’re proactive and tap into our creativity, we can certainly take ourselves to a brighter place on those cold, dark days.