6 Steps to Brighten Your Winter Days in Berlin

Winters in Berlin are long and depressing and I bet everyone is craving for sunbeams on their pale faces. But no matter how much we want the spring to come by, we still have to endure these last weeks of winter full of cold and grey surprises. I know that the first thing that crosses your mind when you think about winter in Berlin is that you have to tolerate that nasty wind under your skin and to coupe with that strange light that is killing your good mood in a second. But on the other hand, if you look from a different perspective, winter can give you the opportunity to focus on your inside world. Winter can be a great time to explore your inner self, to feed it with warmness and attention so when the spring arrives you can radiate from the inside out.

So enough bitching about the weather and learn how to brighten your days with these simple tips:

1. Meditate 

As I said before winter can be a great time to reflect on yourself, on your actions, on what is happening inside you. Meditation is a great way to open doors to your deepest self and discover what's holding you back from your ideal life. So thank the wind that blows outside, thank the clouds that are covering the blue sky, thank the day that is shorter, because they offer you a good reason to focus on yourself.

Close your eyes and start focusing on your breathing. Take deep breaths and if your thoughts are really loud, just watch them come and go without judging or being too attached to them. Do this for 10-15 minutes and after that open your eyes and slowly that sad little person will disappear.

2. Eat what brightens you up 

I'm sure you already know by now that food is a really important part of your wellbeing. When you eat wisely not only you start to love your reflection in the mirror, but you also feel energized, healthy and you have a clear mind for the entire day.

If Berlin doesn't offer you the chance to feel the sun on your face for weeks, instead of just standing there sad and depressed and waiting for the sun to come out, you could brighten yourself up with some delicious and nourishing food. Eat fruits, vegetables, go nuts about nuts, hydrate yourself with water, fresh juices, smoothies. Just go wild in the kitchen and experiment with healthy recipes. The Internet is full of great and inventive recipes that are waiting for you to try them on.

My personal favorite winter dessert is an apple with nuts, honey, and cinnamon. Simple and delicious!

3. Take your vitamin D

People of Berlin, you need your vitamin D! The sun is the main source of Vitamin D, but for sure you're not getting it now, so if you don't want to fracture your bones on a regular basis, bananas, cacao, or mushrooms are your best friends. Forget what you've learned about milk when you were a kid. Milk will not make your bones stronger, but actually the opposite. So if you want to live in a stronger body, delight yourself with these three incredible ingredients and you'll feel radiant and ready to make it through another rainy day.

4. Move

Even if winter invites you to hibernate your days off, that doesn't mean that you have to skip your pleasure to dance. There's so much good music in this world for you to dance to, and Berlin is full of places where you can explore your movements on the dance floor.  So PLEASE dance!

Another way to use your body for therapy is by doing yoga. Stretching your body in the rhythm of your breath gives you the opportunity to move with ease and grace on your mat and throughout your life as well.

Or if you're not scared to feel some wind on your face, put your sneakers and go for a run in the nearest park. Tempelhof is my favorite place to run, especially when the wind is my personal trainer and is pushing me from behind to be stronger and faster.

5. Rest

So you've danced all night long feeling like a dancing queen? Perfect! Now it’s time to go home, put your pajamas, and take a deep and well-deserved sleep. Winter is perfect for you to rest your body, your mind, and your spirit. And nothing is more rejuvenating and has an anti-aging effect on your whole being a good old sleep.

Try to get used to going early to bed. Your body will thank you, offering you a natural glow and plenty of energy for the entire day.

6. Love yourself

You maybe have the feeling that you do love yourself. You exercise, you eat healthily and you spoil yourself with long and exotic vacations, but you keep complaining about little things in life and you intoxicate your daily life with negative thoughts about the people around you, about the weather, about your job, and so on.

When you truly love yourself you don't let these negative thoughts rule your world, and you find a way to separate yourself from them by seeing the good side of everything that happens to you. Loving yourself means to learn every day how to trust life and to understand that whatever happens in your head reflects your reality.

What happens in your head is entirely up to you. So use your power to choose your thoughts and create sunny and warm days that will brighten your day from the inside out.

So here you go! Now you know how to make the most out of these last weeks of winter in Berlin, and prepare yourselves to welcome spring with calm, love and light.

By Alice Rosentzweig