If you've got a case of the winter blues, hang in there.  The days are starting to get longer, and the midpoint of winter is almost here.

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Winter Blues

When the daylight hours are shorter and the weather is cold and dreary it can cause a shift in your mood.   According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the winter blues are a real thing, and it is not uncommon to have feelings of sadness in the wintertime.  Many people notice their mood changes a little by the weather, a lot of people report "feeling down" or just feeling blue when the days are shorter and colder, but notice they feel better in the springtime.

It is very important to note that the winter blues are not the same thing as Seasonal Affective Disorder (or SAD) as SAD is a type of depression, and is more than the winter blues.  If you or someone you know is in immediate distress or is thinking about hurting themselves, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline  at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. And if you want to learn more about the differences between SAD and the winter blues, you can check out the National Institute of Mental Health's article about the differences and when to seek help, here.

Hang In There We're Halfway There (Almost)!

I'm someone who struggles with the winter blues, as going days without seeing sunlight and spending so much time indoors really affects my mood.  So I get really excited when we can finally start to see the light at the end of this frosty tunnel. The days are already starting to get a little longer which is helping, but another milestone in this dark winter tunnel, is the halfway point, so when is the midpoint of winter? Well it's almost here!

The Official Midpoint of Winter

Many folks believe that the halfway point between winter and spring is February 2nd (Groundhog Day) however, it is not, the actual midpoint of winter is February 3rd.  According to the Farmer's Almanac, Saturday, February 3, 2024, is the exact halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox.

Winter is the Shortest of the Four Seasons

Did you know that winter is the shortest of the four seasons?  This has to do with the distance of the Earth from the Sun. Farmer's Almanac explains:

Winter is the shortest of the four seasons, lasting 88.99 days. It is shortest because at this time of year, Earth is at its closest point in its orbit to the Sun (known as perihelion). So when an object is closest to the Sun, it moves fastest in its orbit; gravity insists upon that. That is fundamental natural law.

Conversely, we are farthest from the Sun in early July, so we are moving slowest in our orbit. Which is why summer is the longest season, lasting just over 93 days.