This Time I Mean It

Getting Past What Holds You Back with Baby Boomer Weight Loss Expert Scott 'Q' Marcus

  • Home
  • Change Habits
    • 21 Day Habit Change.com
  • Blog
    • Newspaper Column
    • Motivational Monday
  • Work With Scott
    • Meet Scott
    • Scott’s Powerful Fun Style
    • For Meeting Planners
    • Speaking Topics
    • What Conference Attendees Say
    • Book Scott to Speak
  • Shop
  • Meet Scott
  • Testimonials
  • Contact Us
    • Sign up for the FREE ezine
You are here: Home / Guest Author / Kick the Winter Blues: Home Improvement Tips to Avoid Seasonal Depression

Kick the Winter Blues: Home Improvement Tips to Avoid Seasonal Depression

March 28, 2014 by Featured Author Leave a Comment

According to Medline Plus, depression affects more than 20 million Americans.

For many people, winter complicates the issue by bringing about yearly battles with Seasonal Depression (also referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD). A three decade-long study by the experts at News in Health, indicated that between one and 10 percent of the U.S. population suffers from SAD, but there’s hope. Light therapy helps ease symptoms. Fellowship with other people also helps, as does behavioral changes. If you’ve been diagnosed with SAD, focus on staying social and take on a home improvement project to your channel your focus.

These three household projects will crank up your interaction with others, while allowing multiple benefits along the way:

1. Paint a Room

Dry winter air decreases the drying time of paint and makes the job go more quickly. Purchase paint, materials, coffee and donuts and assemble some friends to help with the project.

Photo by Charles & Hudson via Flickr

2. Refinish Your Hardwood Floors

Ready to shift your focus to the floors? This is a job for more than one person, so call in for back-up. You’ll need manpower to remove or repair old flooring, prep the surface and assemble new hardwood flooring. Although it’s a simple process, it requires attention to detail to do quality work. Preliminary requirements include:

  • Removing dust and dirt
  • Setting all protruding nails
  • Maintaining 70-degree room temperature
  • Providing adequate ventilation

Bigger projects may require you to have a trash bin delivered and picked up from a company like Next Day Dumpsters to remove and dispose of all your old flooring

Photo by dno1967b via Flickr

3. Eliminate Opportunities for Interior Pests

In the winter, unwanted critters in search of warmth can be drawn to your home. Skunks, rats and opossums may inhabit your home’s crawl space, and you may start to notice mouse droppings beneath the bathroom and kitchen sinks.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rats and mice can spread more than 35 diseases. The danger comes not through direct contact but rather through the physical handling associated with cleaning up after the rodents. Contact with mites, fleas and ticks that have fed on infected mice can also spread disease to humans.

Photo by Ruud Hein via Flickr

According to the experts at Orkin, a single pair of mice can produce up to 200 offspring in just four months; furthermore, each mouse contaminates more food than it eats.

Eliminating interior pests can be dangerous and frustrating, so act in advance to save time and money. Use a high-powered flashlight to identify rat entry holes. Seal with steel wool topped with spray foam. If you have sufficient working space, cut aluminum flashing and staple it over the foam. Set traps in your crawlspace and/or basement. For pet and child safety, avoid poisons.

To prevent bigger critters from getting into home’s crawlspace, seal the pathways with treated plywood or metal skirting. Repair broken air grates. If you work at night in the hopes that the critters are out roaming, use a spotter to prevent unexpected interruptions. And if dealing with a skunk in the crawlspace, call for professional help.

Related

Filed Under: Guest Author, Happiness, mental health Tagged With: control, emotions, family, friends, guest author, happiness, health, home repairs, money, seasonal affect disorder

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search the Site

Search Products

Blog Categories

Recent Posts

  • Published!
  • Perfect Holiday Moments
  • End of the Rainbow
  • Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life
  • Here we go again

Book An Appointment With Scott

Get a free coaching call by following this link. No obligation.

Contact Us Today

Scott "Q" Marcus
707 834.4090
scottq@thistimeimeanit.com
======
Join Scott's mailing list at http://eepurl.com/LsSIX

Product Categories

  • Accessories
  • Books
  • Coaching Programs
  • DVDs and CDs
  • Instant Downloads
  • Kindle Books
  • Seminars
  • Shirts
  • Site Advertising
  • subscription
  • Uncategorized

Book An Appointment

Recent Posts

  • Published!
  • Perfect Holiday Moments
  • End of the Rainbow
  • Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life
  • Here we go again

This Time I Mean It Copyright © 2022 · All rights reserved · Log in