6 tips for surviving gloomy weather.

Black Jeans. Tee. (my favorite ever.) Denim Jacket. Scarf. Backpack. Sunglasses. Similar flats here and here. Similar watch.

It was sunny yesterday, and it was glorious.  I’m talking breezy, blustery perfect temperature, golden leaves everywhere, magical kind of fall day.  Unfortunately, it’s going to be cloudy, gloomy, rainy for the foreseeable future.  And that’s pretty much the status quo for Seattle this time of year.

I love my city but the weather can be a challenge.  Over the past few years of living in the PNW, I’ve picked up some tricks that help me survive, even thrive during the (what feels like) endless gloomy months in the Emerald City.

So here they are.  6 tips for surviving gloomy weather.

1- Use bright light bulbs in the house.  Living this far north means our winters are dark and the sun sets early.  Add in the oppressive clouds that hang (literally) around.  It can be a real buzz kill.  A well lit house helps me keep my chin up like you wouldn’t believe.  So I buy the brightest bulbs and we have lots of lamps.   It seriously works wonders.

2- Get out of the house.  When the weather is rainy it can be really tempting to stay indoors all the time, but that can also get really depressing, really fast.  Especially when it stays dark all day.  I do so much better if I get out the door everyday, even if it’s just to run a quick errand.  Sometimes I’ll intentionally split up my errands so I make sure I have an excuse to leave the house.  Getting outside, breathing fresh air, and even  getting rained on feels really great after you’ve been cooped up inside.

3- Get dressed everyday.  This kind of goes with the “get out of the house” thing.  When its cold and gloomy, it’s easy to feel like you want to just stay in sweats all day, but getting dressed makes a world of difference for my moods.  On days when I’m feeling blah from the weather and not very inspired to get dressed, I like to stick to basics that I love, like this amazing pair of black pants that are super comfy and so flattering.  And then finish the outfit with what I call a trigger piece.  Something I have in my closet that I love to wear that just makes me feel happy when I put it on.  During the summer, that might be a sundress, in the winter it’s my favorite poppy colored coat, and in the fall it’s my accessory of choice: a plaid scarf.  I find most of my great scarves at Nordstrom, and I love that they have a huge selection of classic plaid scarves for under $30.  Plaid scarves are totally my love language.  Plus, they are a great way to hide frizzy rained-on hair. I just tuck mine under my scarf and you never know the difference.  (See below.)

4- Eat healthy and stay active.  When the weather is bad, it feels a lot easier to eat soup and bread and hibernate for 6 months, but that is a recipe for depression.  Exercising every day keeps me sane and so does eating well.  It doesn’t have to be fancy either.  I like to work out at home and I hate running outside when it’s cold and rainy, so I have a lot of workout DVDs (pilates, barre, insanity) and I also do BBG.  At the very least I’ll run stairs for 20 minutes and then finish off with a bunch of squats, push-ups and crunches.  A little exercise goes a long way.  I also incorporate fish into our diet even more this time of year (helps with the blues) and try to eat lots of veggies.

5- Find a place where you can walk around.  I know it sounds silly, but I love taking Ava to the mall when the weather is bad because it’s a big open well-lit building that’s dry and has lots to do/look at.  It gives us both a chance to stretch our legs, walk and see actual people.  Sometimes we meet up with friends and grab a treat.  My favorite mall in the area on a rainy day is Bellevue Square because it’s huge, they have covered parking, a great kids play area on the third floor and it’s beautifully designed.  I always pop into Nordstrom to try on boots or look for a little something pretty like a new scarf or a pair of sunglasses that, let’s face it, I don’t really need this time of year.  Ava loves it because she gets a balloon.  Win, win.

6- Branch out with your outfits.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my wellies, but this time of year it starts to feel like all you can wear is a pair of rain boots and a slicker.  That can get a little boring and frankly a little depressing.  But it’s not really true. There are lots of great options for rainy days: booties and trench coats, riding boots, chunky sweaters, utility jackets.  I’ve even found that most of my ballet flats are just fine in the rain (especially during the fall when it’s wet but not that cold).  Knowing I have lots of sartorial options in wet weather keeps my closet from feeling droll, and makes me excited about getting dressed.  Since getting ready every day is a big trigger for my mood, this has been a huge revelation.

So there you have it!  My 6 tips for surviving the gloomy weather.  How do you get through the cold, dark months and stay sane?

What’s the weather like where you live?

favorite fall backpacks:

favorite fall accessories:

*created in partnership with Nordstrom.