The stress of the holiday season and shorter amounts of daylight could be enough to dampen even Santa’s legendary good mood. Learn how to avoid the winter blues this year.
Tips to keep your mood and outlook healthy during the winter:
Keep active. Take short breaks at work to fit in a walk, even if it’s just from one end of the floor to the other. Take the stairs whenever possible. Make time to hit the gym.
Get outside. Studies have shown that being in nature and in outdoor light can restore mental energy and reduce stress, among other benefits.
Eat healthy. A healthy diet boosts your mood, gives you more energy, and keeps you from gaining a spare tire over the winter.
Find a new hobby. Doing crossword or jigsaw puzzles, ice skating, joining a gym, writing a blog. Any of these or similar activities can keep your mind active to stave off the blues and give you something to look forward to.
Time for you. It’s OK to take a break from the weather and the crowds. Find a good book, cue up Netflix, or run a bubble bath and enjoy an hour of quiet time.
If you just don’t feel like yourself, see your doctor. In fact, psychologists interviewed by Health magazine recommend keeping a journal of your feelings and writing down things like changes in mood, appetite, and sleeping if you think you are at risk of depression. If you feel like this for two weeks or more, see your doctor. It could be depression, but other medical issues can cause similar symptoms. Your doctor can help you figure it out and get back on an even keel long before the first crocus comes peeping out of the mud and snow.