We all have our fair share of winter depression/winter blues, but you don’t have to have those feelings consume you. Not falling too deep into your winter slump is important and I’m here to give you a few tips and tricks for keeping afloat. 

The first thing I recommend is buying a sun lamp. A sun lamp helps act as a fake version of sunlight and is very helpful in the winter when you are likely lacking time in the sun. You can find these on Amazon for around $20 and I’m telling you this is a game changer. You can set the lamp up as you get ready or while you study, whatever works for you. 

My next tip is to form a healthy routine for yourself. In the winter it is so easy to fall out of routine because all you want to do is rot in bed, but stay on top of your routine. This does not have to mean that you wake up at 5:00am everyday, instead it’s about staying consistent and not losing good habits. It is important to incorporate enough time to sleep in your routine because you can get tired much faster during the colder months. I also recommend including time for self-care into your routine so that you can stay in touch with yourself to fulfill your needs. 

On the topic of routine, one of the most important things to add to your routine is exercise! Move your body in the winter, whether it is an intense hour workout or 15 minutes of yoga does not matter, just keep yourself active. I think it is also very beneficial to try to exercise outside. Going for a five minute walk really can improve your mood. 

I find that anytime I am lacking motivation to do something, putting on a cute outfit can be a quick fix. This is something that many people don’t take seriously, but I wholeheartedly believe that looking and feeling put together is so helpful when it comes to feeling motivated. In the winter it is so easy to wear sweats everyday, but please just try to wear a nicer outfit at least once a week and see how it makes you feel. 

I mentioned self-care earlier and a big part of self-care, at least for me, is socializing. Find fun new activities to do with your friends in the winter and switch it up so that you are trying something new all the time. Don’t assume that the activities you do in the other seasons are also fit for winter.

This brings me to my last point of embracing that it’s winter. Understand that yes this is a completely different season than summer, but that’s ok because it can be fun in its own way. So many people look negatively at the differences between summer and winter, but be positive about it. Of course if you live somewhere where it drops into single digits in the winter you will not be sitting by a pool baking in the sun, but find a different activity like scrapbooking with friends, that is equally as enjoyable. 

Till next Sunday,

Daisy