Winter can be a beautiful time of year: there’s the excitement of the holidays, the pretty snow outside, and the feeling of turning over a new leaf come January 1st. But by February and March, Spring can feel long overdue. The short days, bleak weather, and lack of sunlight can be major downers and make every day feel like a challenge.
Here’s how to beat the blues this winter through 10 simple ways.
How to Beat the Blues this Winter Video
If you’d rather see this in video form, you can watch it below!
On to the tips!
#1. Let there be light!
One of the biggest downers about winter is the sheer lack of light. It can feel like we’re cloaked in darkness for months at a time!
Letting there be light can be as simple as opening the blinds and letting that natural light in, or going for a walk mid-day to be outside when it’s brighter out. You could also get more lights for your workspace, or even invest in a light specifically designed for managing seasonal affective disorder.
#2. Take some Vitamin D.
Without natural sunlight, winter can see our Vitamin D levels deplete.
Take a daily multivitamin with a lot of Vitamin D in it, or take separate Vitamin D supplements.
#3. Get moving.
There are so many benefits of exercise, even if that looks like a quick walk around the block. These include improving your sleep, boosting your mood, and giving you more energy.
Check out The Best Workout Motivation: 5 Ways to Get Moving for inspiration on starting a fitness routine.
#4. Plan a vacation.
If you can, plan a sunny vacation or even a weekend away! This will give you something to look forward to, plan, and dream about. And being away will switch things up and give you a change of scenery.
#5. Help others.
Helping others is a major mood booster. This can be something formalized like volunteering or mentorship but it could be as easy as just making an effort to do acts of kindness for other people.
#6. Cross something off your to-do list.
As I talked about in my post How to Turn Things Around on a Bad Day at Work, getting something accomplished can cheer you up. And by crossing a task off your to do list, you’ll have one less thing on your plate.
#7. Get social.
This can be as simple as picking up the phone and calling a friend or relative, or something more organized like planning a night out with friends. The key is to do something with other people so you can feed off their energy and benefit from that human connection.
#8. Eat healthy.
Between Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, there is so much delicious food to be had! But often it’s not super nutritious. To boost your mood (and cater to your health!) reach for fruits and veggies, protein, and fibre-rich options. By improving your physical health, your mental and emotional health can follow.
#9. Perk up your mornings.
This is a tip my friend Ashley shared with me! Every morning before work, she watches a TV show as she’s getting ready. It’s something like an episode of Friends that can be on in the background without requiring a lot of focus.
I’ve tried that myself and it works wonders! Not only do you start the day in a good mood after watching something humorous, but it makes it so much easier to get out of bed in the morning when you have something immediate like that to look forward to that’s going to.
#10. Make your bed every morning.
Making your environment clean and organized can make you feel more comfortable and happy in your space. You can even take this one step further by decorating your place for the Spring, accenting rooms with brighter colours and fun touches.
Leave me a comment below and let me know: do you struggle with feeling down in the Winter? How to you cheer up?
Related Posts
10 Totally Doable Ways to Cheer Yourself Up
5 Confidence Building Activities You Need to Try Today
Leave a Reply