It’s a new year! You’ve made it through the holidays bleary-eyed, surrounded by boxes, full of cheese. The lists of resolutions of good intentions are already
feeling a bit too much for real life. Then it hits you: is it the gray skies? The indifferent weather? Leaving home and arriving back again in the dark? All of the above! You cry. It’s winter cabin fever! But never fear, I didn’t survive two decades in the UP without learning some strategies for staying sane and having fun during the long winter months, and I’m happy to spread the joy around Michigan. From low-cost to no-cost, group or solo, light and fun to deep and meaningful, you have lots of options for raising your spirits during the winter doldrums.
Strategy 1: Get Moving Out of the House
You wouldn’t believe how much it improves your mood to get out and get moving. That gym membership or online Pilates course may not sound as enticing anymore, but there are other options! Is the weather rough? Load up the kids and hit a Trampoline Park, Lazer Tag, or Roller Rink (they still exist!) for exercise. Wishing there was more snow? Find an indoor Ice Rink for skating. Want more snacks? Try a local Bowling Alley. And if the weather does take a more wintery turn, by all means, hit the sledding hill with a thermos full of cocoa. Up for an adventure? Try a winter nature walk and see what wildlife you can track or what new vistas are revealed when the brush dies down. And if you’re truly resenting winter, hit a local YMCA pool’s open swim time.
Strategy 2: Feed Your Brain
If you’re feeling stuck, explore something new. Midwinter is a great time to investigate opportunities you might overlook when the sun is shining and the lake calls. Check out show times at your nearest Planetarium to view the stars without seeing your breath in the fridged night air. Visit a Children’s Museum with the kids, and perhaps sign them up for a fun Workshop. Observe MLK Day by learning about Dr. King, the Civil Rights Movement, and the sacrifices so many made for freedom. Did you know that Michigan’s birthday is January 26? Celebrate statehood with a trip to the Michigan History Museum or the State Capitol.
Feeling like a warm blanket and a cozy book is your speed? Cartoonist Ben Lansing just released Our Church Speaks: An Illustrated Devotional of Saints from Every Era and Place, a beautiful, inspirational book that tells the stories of brothers and sisters in Christ from the first century to recent times. My copy is next to my bed, ready to pull me out of my winter funk and into the stories of heroes of the faith. Check it out, and maybe pick one to read and discuss as a family over the dinner table.
Strategy 3: Bring on the Music!
You know what lifted my spirits in the middle of a long, dark winter? The wonderful Marquette Symphony Orchestra. Tickets to a Broadway-style show may be pricey, but university schools of music and local orchestras offer wonderful events at a fraction of the cost. This January MSU will host Jazz: Spirituals, Prayer, Protest (free but ticketed), Piffaro Renaissance music concert (tickets $7-17), and a carillon recital at the Beaumont Tower in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (free, outdoors). The Lansing Symphony Orchestra offers their Chamber Series, the LSO at the Robin Theater (REO Town) concerts, and an upcoming tribute at the Wharton Center to the band Queen. Want to dance? Contra or Square Dancing are accessible, friendly, low-pressure (and low-cost) ways to move to the music and clear out the winter blues. Want to help someone else dance their heart out? Volunteer with Night to Shine on Friday, February 7, and give someone a special night to remember.
Strategy 4: Forge Real Connections
Winter is a great time for strengthening or establishing friendships. Many people are in town, looking for something more enticing than a solitary night with the microwave. So how does that work? 1. Invite people to your place, 2. Collect phones in a box by the door, 3. Be present with each other for a night. Here are a few ideas for what you could do:
– Game Night: Play something short on rules and long on fun, or maybe you all finally learn how to play Euchre or Poker? And Catan always needs settling. I advise against Risk or Monopoly if you ever want to sleep again or maintain long-term friendships.
– Movie Night: Make some popcorn and enjoy a movie night together. Artsy & deep? Babette’s Feast or Tree of Life. Black & white classics? 12 Angry Men or Anatomy of a Murder. Western original vs. remake? 3:10 To Yuma or True Grit. Comedy? I can’t say I’ll ever tire of The Princess Bride or O Brother, Where Art Thou?
– Read Aloud: Pour the tea, gather the snacks, and settle in to listen. Short stories (P.J. Wodehouse is famously hilarious), essays (many C.S. Lewis essays were originally radio addresses or sermons), and poetry (I highly commend the beautifully accessible Malcolm Guite) are all good places to start, but if they seem intimidating, try children’s literature. In college when a group of my friends included A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh in their Sunday afternoon read-aloud, no one objected.
– Tell Stories: Everyone answers a question: what was your favorite childhood game and could you play it now? Where is the best place you’ve ever been and would you go back? How—and how long ago—did you meet your spouse? What was the most difficult thing you’ve ever endured, and what pulled you through it?
If phone-less gatherings seem like a heavy lift on your own, why not get some practice: find a small group. They already exist as a good place to relax and make real connections with people in a welcoming place. What better way to warm your winter? So here’s the winter activity charge: go do it! Grab a friend, grab a spouse, maybe the kids? and adjust your schedule and priorities to try something new. Don’t just scroll or binge-stream the colder months away. Find something worth spending time on, making memories, and building the relationships that will stick with you through winter and beyond.
Be Active
Trampolines
Laser Tag
Roller Skating
Ice Skating
Bowling
Sledding
Nature Walk
Feed Your Mind
Planetarium
Children’s Museum
Workshops for Kids
Civil Rights Movement
Happy Statehood Day, Michigan
“Our Church Speaks” book
MLK Day Celebration
Listen to a symphony or orchestra
Watch a live theatre production
Listen to a tribute band
Contra Dancing or Square Dancing
Night to Shine
Be Present Together
Watch movies together
Play Games together
Read books and poetry together
Read the Bible together
Participate in a 2|42 kids event
Join a 2|42 small group
Check out our website for more information. We always welcome new friends to worship with us. Find a location that’s close to you!
You can learn more about our beliefs and visit our video library to explore more topics like this one. You can also check out our events page to find out what fun new things we’re doing this season.
