7 Ways To Beat The Winter Blues This Season

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Have you ever wondered why you often feel like you just can’t seem to beat the Winter Blues?

Winters here are long and dark with not enough sun and, not to mention, really cold.

It’s not uncommon that people who live in cold, dreary countries often suffer from seasonal affective disorder or as many people commonly call it, the Winter Blues.

Most days, you’re going into work or school when it’s still dark out in the morning only to come out again once it’s dark. It’s no wonder many people feel the way that they do.

How To Beat The Winter Blues This Season

If it’s a constant daily struggle for you to stay upbeat and happy, this may be something that you need to consciously work on daily if you live in an area where you experience long winters.

In my post today, I outline 7 ways on how to overcome seasonal depression this season so you can feel happier and more energized.

In addition to these tips, I highly recommend that you check out my post on how to practice the Hygge lifestyle in the winter for better wellbeing during the long winter months.

1. Get moving & exercise

The first thing you want to do when you’re feeling down is to get moving. It doesn’t matter what you enjoy doing – pilates, running, zumba, walking your dog, or weight training, the point is to just get your body moving.

Exercise increases the endorphins in your body which will naturally make you feel happier and alleviate the feelings of winter depression. 

You know that awesome feeling after a workout where you feel like you can totally conquer the world? You want to constantly give yourself a natural high by moving your body.

Being active is not only great for your physical health but also mentally.

2. Daily Dose of Sun

Another way to feel better in the winter is to get 10 to 15 minutes of sunlight a day. You can easily add this to your morning routine.

With winter days seeming much shorter due to less sunlight compared to the warmer months, you’re bound to feel a little bummed if you’re cooped up inside.

Try to get up early enough to at least see a few hours of daylight if you’re not already before it gets dark. If you need a little push to get up earlier, check out my post on ways to sleep earlier every night.

You can also take advantage of days where the sun is high and bright by going out for a jog or a brisk walk.

Every time the sun is out, I take full advantage of it because it instantly lifts my mood and makes me feel happier. Just don’t forget to slather on the sunscreen because the UV rays are still strong in the winter.

If you find that sunny days are rare, you can supplement your diet with 1000 UI of vitamin D.

3. Good quality sleep

If you want to feel your best, getting good quality sleep is a must.

I know if I don’t sleep well, the next day is pretty much a write-off for me. I feel tired, crappy, moody, and I become a huge grouch.

All of that ends up with me eating like crap, drinking too much coffee (which then interrupts my sleep the next night) and not getting enough work done because I feel tired and unenergized. It’s such a negative snowball effect that cycles itself over and over again.

Making sure you get restful sleep will only bring you more positivity in your life. You’ll look and feel better about yourself, your positivity will rub off on the other people in your life, and you’ll get way more done.

Check out my post on 14 tips to get better sleep so you’ll feel more energized and productive and my Sleep Well Journal that will help you get back on track with your sleep by cultivating healthy sleep habits.

4. Eat Well

We are what we eat and drink so feeding your body foods with the right nutritional needs is important to feel great.

Choose healthy options that are high in vitamins and minerals and won’t make leave you feeling lethargic, heavy, and tired. Don’t forget to also drink lots of water so that you stay hydrated.

Eat At Home Meal Plans

If you’re the type of person who needs help with planning out cheap and healthy meals this winter, I highly recommend that you check out Eat At Home Meal Plans.

This meal plan membership includes access to ALL 4 of the following separate meal plans. The great part is you can mix and match depending on your needs and tastes.

1. Traditional – This plan is family-friendly and includes a variety of meats and veggies, and the occasional meatless meal.

2. Whole Food Plant Based – This plan places more emphasis on natural foods including vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. No meats, cheese, milk, fish, or eggs.

3. Slow Cooker/Instant Pot – This plan provides recipes that you can cook in your slow cooker and includes many Instant Pot recipes as well. (Bonus: It includes 1 week of Slow Cooker Freezer meals that are ready to eat in an hour!)

4. No Flour, No Sugar – This plan includes easy-to-prepare meals made from veggies and protein from whole foods with no flour or artificial sugars added.

Other great advantages of the Eat At Home Meal Plans include:

• Meal plans provided at the beginning of the month so you’ll have time to plan and minimize shopping trips
• 15-minute meals for super busy nights
• Color-coded lists so you can swap out ingredients or whole meals when needed
• Printable recipes for easy cooking
• Printable menus which are perfect to hang on your fridge or near your calendar for easy viewing

These will help you save time so you don’t have to think long and hard on what to make at home and it’ll keep you focused on staying healthy.

5. Self-care

Self-care is really important especially on days where you feel like the Winter Blues just aren’t going away.

Taking care of yourself physically should be a priority but it’s also important to make sure that you don’t neglect your mental health.

If you’re feeling stressed, find ways to relax and unwind such as filling out adult coloring books.

You can also practice gratitude, whether that’s through positive gratitude affirmations or a filling out a daily gratitude journal.

Here are some affirmation ideas you can practice:

• 30 Gratitude Affirmations To Practice Daily
• 50 Positive Affirmations For More Self-Esteem And Confidence
• 40 Positive Self Affirmations For Anxiety
• 30 Affirmations For Joy And Happiness
• 35 Powerful Positive Morning Affirmations To Practice Every Day

If you’re unhappy with any negativity that’s present in your life, make sure you find ways to minimize it so that it doesn’t spiral out of control. You can check out my post on 7 toxic habits and behaviors you should cut out from your life for less negativity.

Looking for more ways to improve your self-care? Check out my post on 15 essential self-care habits that you can adopt today that will help transform your life in a positive way.

6. Light therapy

Some days, you might need a little extra help.

If you’re finding that even though you’re getting your daily intake of sunshine but it isn’t helping to elevate your mood, you might need to supplement your self-care regimen using light therapy.

Light therapy is a great way to get some artificial sun without the damaging UV rays.

These LED sunlight lamps can help to improve your mood if you live in a place where there isn’t much opportunity to get your daily dose of the sun or you’re constantly traveling and jet-lagged.

All you have to do is turn it on at your desk and let the LED light shine on you. The best thing is that it’s portable like a sleek tablet so you can easily travel with it or move it around on your desk.

Just remember to research on the best light therapy lamps that will suit your needs because they are all different and some aren’t as powerful as others.

7. Boost Your Mood

Lastly, if you’re more prone to feeling down during the winter, be proactive and find ways to boost your mood externally.

For example, you can add some calming plants to your home to liven up the place. They’re scientifically shown to help boost your mood and decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety.

If you need some ideas, check out my post on 15 simple ways to boost your mood right now.

More Self-Care Tips For Winter

If you suffer from the Winter Blues, know that you’re not alone and that there are multiple things can be done to help you get out of your funk. I hope these tips were helpful to you.

• How To Practice Hygge This Winter Season
• 15 Habits To Practice For Better Self-Care
• 7 Ways To Remove Negativity From Your Life
• 8 Ways To Go To Sleep Earlier
• 10 Calming Plants That Will Help Relieve Stress
• How To Drink More Water Every Day For A Healthier You
• 15 Ways To Easily Boost Your Mood Right Now
• 14 Ways To Get Better Sleep Every Night
• How To Relax After A Stressful Day At Work

What are some methods you do to beat the Winter Blues? Let me know in the comments!