I prefer spring greens over winter blues

I’ll admit it. I struggled to find something to write about in this week’s column space.
This wouldn’t be problem if I had a life.
For this soon-to-be 58-year-old, living in the winter has become very routine.
The simplified weekly schedule goes something like this: work Monday through Friday. Grocery shop and clean the house Saturday. Prepare for the week and see family on Sunday. For fun, sometimes we switch up Saturday and Sunday’s routines.
Peppered during the week are some sporting events to either photograph or attend. (I still have a junior who keeps us in the high school for sporting events. I also have a nephew who’s a sophomore, so we will attend some of his events too.)
Apart from that, not much else happens during these post-Christmas, dark, dreary, and cold days. When you say “winter,” for some it evokes the images of fluffy snowflakes, children playing, tobogganing and hot chocolate.
For others, including me, winter means exhaustion, anxiety and the desire for it to be warmer and green.
I guess the winter blues are very real.
Before I self-diagnose myself with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), there are things that can cause my malaise. In the winter we get less vitamin D, which helps to regulate moods.
Not everyone engages in winter activities that make the season more tolerable — some would even say fun. If you are really into skiing, you're living for the winter. If you’re not into outside activity, the season is not for you.
To stay sane and get into the mindset that this four-month inconvenience we call winter can be tolerable, I did what everyone loves to do: I “researched” on the internet strategies to get through this period.
Our neighbors to the north know winter really well. Here’s some tips by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.:
1. Look for the “Why.”
I’m supposed to ask myself why winter exists. I know there are benefits to winter, (kills insects, forces migration, helps drought…etc.). I just don’t like these benefits.
2. Hang out with winter enthusiasts.
Does attending a game inside of a warm gym count?
3. Bring in the light.
Here’s that lack of vitamin D again. I do this. When the sun’s out, the shades are up.
4. Get really cozy.
I’m very good at getting a blanket, a steaming mug of hot chocolate or coffee, and binge-watching a TV series.
I know this season is temporary. Spring is weeks away. I know nature’s routine does not make winter in Minnesota permanent. It just feels that way sometimes.