Honor. Community. Jewish Values.

Winter! What Can I Do Today?

Winter can feel like “a month of Sundays” or “a clean page, waiting to be drawn on.” Either way, winter impacts all of us differently, some welcome the indoor warmth and time of reflection and some shudder at the thought of the colder, darker days ahead.

However you experience winter and with the pandemic continuing to keep us masked and safer indoors, this is a good time to bring some “light” ideas to enhance your days and make your winter time more meaningful or productive. Not only that, staying engaged helps keep the blues at bay, enhances your overall mood, keeps you connected and less isolated.

There are so many online options to choose from and here are a few suggestions that might inspire you to learn even more.

–Take up a new hobby. Perhaps you’ve wanted to learn how to knit or crochet. There are many beginner YouTube videos available online that show you step by step, such as this one.

–Learn how to make a new recipe such as Easy Fudgy Brownies from Scratch, click here.

–This is a good time to walk to the Library and check out the newest books, use a computer or bring your own device and access Wi-Fi. Maybe pick out a book and start a book club with your friends. You can even meet on Zoom. Check out the Denver Public Library.

–Learn how to get your own Zoom account with this information.

–Take up a new stretch routine and keep your body fit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XHlqzdK5hw

–Sign up for an activity though Kavod’s Life Enrichment department:

If you don’t have access to a computer, there are so many fun things to do and some of these ideas you might already have at your fingertips.

–Find a recipe book and try a new recipe

–Make your own greeting card and write a letter to brighten someone’s day

–Find a new puzzle or board game and invite a friend (and keep your mask on J)

–Make time to organize your drawers and closets then say goodbye to those items that served you well

–Take a walk with a friend

–Open your curtains, put on your favorite music and dance like no one is watching

–Watch a comedy on television and laugh out loud

–Contact Kavod’s Life Enrichment Department or Health and Wellness Department and sign up for a class or activity

Hopefully, as the days get shorter and the nights get longer, your new winter routine will be greeted with an attitude of “what can I do today?” Healthy anticipation is known to energize and motivate us. This powerful emotion can remind us that there are pleasurable rewards when we change our behaviors and do something that feels good and connects us. Winter just might become a season full of possibility.