As I’m writing this, today is one of those “stay in bed” kind of days! It is dreary, rainy, and chilly. Nothing says “stay home and do nothing” like cold rain to me. Perhaps where you are from, January means a lot of snow – or, maybe it means warm, balmy weather. Here in central Virginia, it means cold, but not much snow.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not complaining. I actually love it here. We can see mountains in the distance and the summers are not too hot and humid. The winter months just work on my mood. Can you relate?
Making the Most of “Blah” Days
My natural tendency on the blah days is to procrastinate and be lazy. Since I don’t feel like doing anything, I often give in and surrender to the call of the TV. Once in a while, we all need to rest and relax – but not every time the sky is gray. ~smile~ Those less than ideal days can actually be good for getting tasks done around the house, for spending quality time inside with family and friends, and for reading and expanding our minds!
If the cold, dim weather gets you down, you may want to consider buying a sun lamp. A friend of mine has gone tanning to escape the cold today, but I don’t necessarily recommend that for health reasons. Here are a few recommendations for getting into a “let’s go!” mood on dreary days.
- Turn on the lights in your home. Generally, I am an advocate for saving money; but, if sitting around in the dark is keeping your mood down and inhibiting your productivity, I say light up the place!
- Make a list of what you need to complete. If I have a realistic list of items I need to complete, I am more likely to get moving than if I have a theoretical list in my mind. Think of what needs to get done, write the tasks down, prioritize the list, and then get to it. Also, have a reward written down for when you finish everything.
- Think of a few tasks you avoid and see if you can knock them out! How good would you feel if you actually got ahead on a term paper instead of waiting until the day before it is due to work on it? Are there unidentifiable objects growing in your fridge? Do you have a pile of papers a mile high that need to be scanned and organized? A dreary day is just the day for such undesirable jobs. If you are working on homework, get a good snack and plan ten-minute breaks on the hour (if you need them). If you have cleaning or organizing to do, turn on the TV or music and enjoy yourself! Focus on how great you will feel when the job is done! And, like the above, reward yourself when you finish!
Connecting on “Blah” Days
Blah days can also be excellent days for connecting with others. Games, movies, or just sitting down and laughing together can turn a yucky day into a marvelous one. It is a good idea to be prepared for such days. In fact, why don’t you and your sweetie concoct a game plan? Have several ideas for how make the most of your time together on gross weather days. Here are a few ideas:
- Have friends over for games and pizza. You can connect with each other as you enjoy the company of others.
- Have dinner delivered and watch movies.
- Bundle up, go outside, and play in the rain or snow. After all, there is no one to tell you that you cannot! Just bundle up!
- Go to a coffee shop and enjoy a nice, long conversation and warm beverage.
- Play The Ungame (an actual, non-competitive card game) and take the time to get to know each other better.
- Help each other complete a project.
- Read a book together.
I am sure you can think of more activities you can enjoy together if you take some time to think about it. Create a long list or put the ideas into a jar and pull one out whenever you need an idea or surprise! ~smile~
God Created Every Day – Even the “Blah” Days
A few years ago, Eric and I met a girl whose nickname was “Snow Day.” She said her parents were both teachers and she was conceived on a snow day. ~smile~ Her parents were surely thankful for inclement weather. When rain stamps out our plans, or snow keeps us from being able to travel, it is easy to have a bad attitude. I am certainly guilty of that many times over. However, we have to remind ourselves that God created each day and each day is good. Sometimes we have to find the good in it instead of waiting for the good to find us.
We are a busy society. We buzz around from one project to the next and we get annoyed when something like weather slows us down (perhaps we expect to exercise more control than we have?). So, maybe we should look at the blah days as a gift. As a chance to pull off the accelerator, look around, and enjoy what we have. Sometimes we accomplish more by resting and spending time with our loved ones than we do by working. Remember to thank God for the less than ideal days and reframe them in your mind as good days. You never know what awesome blessing may come on a blah day!
How do you use blah days to connect with your sweetheart?