The wintertime does not offer the bright and cheerful atmosphere that most people thrive on. Instead it offers many cold and dark days that are spent indoors. Many people will be diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder while others are just tired of living in a dark and lifeless area. The good news is that you can banish the gloomy scenery that winter offers and make the time seem shorter until spring arrives. Here are several tips to rid your home of the winter blues.
Use All Of The Lightbulbs
When you are in the dark the natural thing to do is to turn on a light. But lightbulbs are not a good replacement for the actual sun you are missing. You should try to change out several of your light fixtures with full spectrum bulbs. These types of bulbs are the closest thing you will find to the actual sun and will make you happy. Not only will you be happy with this type of light bulb but so will your plants.
Do Away With Curtains
Some people believe that curtains will help you to keep your home warmer during the winter months. But others believe that if you have curtains up in your home during the winter months it will just make your home feel colder and will let less sun into your home. Some people need the sunlight to make them happy and the sun during the winter is very valuable therefore you might not want to block it out.
Lemon Trees
If you want the smells of spring and summer you should plan a lemon tree. The scent of citrus is an uplifting scent. This is because it will remind you of the warmer months but it will also smell clean.
Plant Wheat Grass And Watch It Grow
People tend to think of watching the grass grow as a spring activity but it does not always have to be. You can plant wheat grass and watch it grow. You can find wheat berries in the grain section at your local supermarket and the grass can be grown from planting them. Once planted put on the window sill and within a week’s time you will have a lush patch of grass growing. Green grass can be used to just give you a little green color into your winter blues or to use to mix in shakes or juices.
Weatherproof Your Windows
Even though you have the urge to let all the light into your home as you possibly can you also want to keep your home warm and not cold. You should install new weather strips and plastic over your windows to keep the cold wind from blowing in but at the same time allowing for the sun to filter through your windows to keep it bright and sunny inside. Not only will this weather proofing keep you warm but it will also save you money in heating costs.
Have Cozy Décor
When you decorate your home for the winter months it is necessary to switch out your springy decorations for ones that are cozy. A good example of this is to use a shag rug instead of a straight rug and use wool or fur to cover your bed and other pieces of furniture throughout your home.
When it comes to the winter blues there are ways you can combat them by how you decorate and heat your home. The tips above are only a few of them there are many more that you can incorporate into your home to make it warm and cozy and help you to beat the winter blues.
Image via Flickr by Karen TenEyck
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