Christmas has passed, a New Year has started but yet it is still cold and dark outside. If you struggle to feel motivated or awake during the winter months then I have some tips that you might find useful to help you beat the January blues.
It is worth pointing out that there is a disorder (Seasonal Affective Disorder) that affects people's mood in the change of seasons therefore I have included a link to the NHS website here where you can find out more should you feel like you need some medical assistance.
Disclaimer: The purpose of this blog post is to share some advice that might help those who suffer with the winter months but is no way scientifically proven. Therefore if you feel as though you need medical help or advice then I would suggest speaking to your GP.
Without further ado, let's get into the tips:
Tip 1 - Get Outside
There are multiple health benefits that getting outside provides such as: reducing anxiety, improving short-term memory and it can also help you feel happier. Therefore, with these benefits being so profound, it is key to get outside as much as you can, whether this be for 5 minutes or an hour - whenever you can it will help.
Tip 2 - Be Kind to Yourself
Getting up in the morning in the dark and getting home from work in the dark isn't much fun so if you're not feeling overly productive and just fancy sitting on the sofa with your pj's on and a hot chocolate, no one will blame you. Take your free time easy and do what you feel like doing. If this is getting cosy and watching Netflix then go for it!
Tip 3 - Have an Aim
In contrast to the above tip, some individuals may find that actually having something that they can work towards useful as it keeps their mind occupied and enables them to focus on something to achieve.
Therefore, do whatever works for you, whether this be relaxing after work or focusing your attention on a goal you have.
Tip 4 - Get Light
It is only natural for our brains to associate the dark skies with bedtime therefore try and find a way of getting some light into your day. Try sitting next to a window, getting outside on your lunch break or buying a light that projects natural daylight. Getting some form of light will help you get Vitamin D into your system which will also help boost your immune system.
Tip 5 - Eating Healthily
By taking care of what you eat it will help boost your immune system as well as your mood. Perhaps set yourself the goal of eating 5 of your fruit and veg a day to keep you motivated and ensuring you're getting all the goodness you need.
Tip 6 - Keep Social
For some winter is the time for them to hibernate and limit interaction with people around them but having some form of human interaction can help boost your mood and engage your communication skills. Therefore perhaps try reaching out to friends and family, give them a call or organise a FaceTime. Keeping up that communication might also help someone else that you don't know is suffering.
Tip 7 - Try Something New
Perhaps use January as an opportunity to start something new and learn a new skill. You could take something up like knitting or crafting to fill your time and build your skills.
Tip 8 - Make Your Mornings Easy
Instead of spending your mornings rushing out the door and feeling groggy from it, try setting your alarm a little earlier than you need so you can be kind to yourself and wake up slowly without feeling rushed or pressured. By allowing yourself a more peaceful and relaxing awakening you are likely to start the day in a more positive way.
Let me know if any of the above tips have helped you to beat the January blues or at least made the winter months a little more bearable.
If you are feeling low and looking for somewhere to write a list of things to help pick you back up, I have created a blank checklist for you which you can download here.
This blog post is Day 5 out of the January Series where I will be uploading 31 blog posts to help you kick start your 2021 in the right way and to help you become the best version of you.
Leave a comment below if you have any blog post ideas that you would like me to do in the future
See you tomorrow for another blog post! :)
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