Tips to Beat the Winter Weather Blues

BY JACEK GREBSKI

It’s no big secret that Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD, aka Winter Depression) affects people during the winter months, but there’s no better way to beat those winter weather blues than to get on our of the cold and go someplace warm, with sun, and turquoise water.  Truth be told writing this water is already making me want to hop on a plane and say goodbye to the rain and overcast skies of Barcelona.

So where do we go how do we get there, and what do we do? Easy-peasy.

Most people will undoubtedly want to save those holiday days for some wonderful lengthy trip throughout the year, which is totally understood. That said, a weekend get away is typically the best option, but the Catch-22 is that weekend prices tend to be higher. So here’s what you do.

1. Sign up for deals from airfare websites. Often you’ll find a flight for 1/4^th the cost if you were to book normally.
2. When the blues start biting, be sure to see what deals airfare retail websites offer at any given point in time.  i.e. Just today we saw a round trip flight from London to Ghana for £140 (€160, $230), taxes included.
3. And don’t forget packages. Often you can get a weekend package with a hotel and flight for about ½ the price of both together.

It may take you a week or two or random searches to get the deal you’re happy with but at this point in time it’s by far the best option to get away for the weekend.

Next up. Figure out what you want to do. If you’re heading to a beach locale, do you just want to vegetate on the sand and soak in the rays or see what else the country has to offer? For a longer get away, we’d say get a book, but two-three days, just head over to WikiTravel and print out the to-do’s at your destination of choice.

Maybe it won’t be as involved as a printed professionally written guide, but it’ll get the job done, and save you the hassle of running to the book store.  That said, be sure to pack intelligently.

That said, here’s a few final tips to make your stay all the better.

Chances are you’ve spent the better part of the past few months in the cloud covered cold, and if you’re of the fairer complexion, your skin is not accustomed to the sun. Be sure to pack sun block, SPF 30 will give you enough cover and you should still see some color, and even if you’re olive skinned, or darker naturally sun block can still help prevent skin cancer, and aging.

If heading into a culturally different location, please red up on the customs. There’s nothing worse than winding up in a culturally awkward situation because you didn’t know the customs, and not to mention that a bit of cultural knowledge can go a long way and make your stay all the better.

Don’t bring your laptop, don’t bring your mobile, get away from work, and don’t even think about it. One of the biggest mistakes we make is bringing our work with us on holiday. Instead of relaxing, we wind up checking emails, and worrying about what’s going on in the office. Seasonal depression or not, you’re still on a mini holiday. So kick back and relax.