The heart of Winter is here, the days are short, the sun hides and you find yourself feeling a little down or not motivated. This is what we call the winter blues.
“Winter blues is a general term, not a medical diagnosis. It’s fairly common, and it’s more mild than serious. It usually clears up on its own in a fairly short amount of time,” says Dr. Matthew Rudorfer, a mental health expert at NIH. The so-called winter blues are often linked to something specific, such as stressful holidays or reminders of absent loved ones. The winter blues can also be caused by lack of natural sunlight from being inside more often.
So, what are some ways to help fight those winter blues? We’re glad you asked!
- Behavior – crazy as it sounds, you can choose to love winter more and more each year.
- Wear brighter colors – wearing brighter colors can help you feel, well, brighter!
- Stock up on vitamin D – this will help with not seeing enough sunlight in the winter time.
- Make a book/movie list – winter is a great time to catch up on some of your favorite books and movies that you’ve been wanting to read or see.
- Hang with positive people – surround yourself with people who are staying positive.
- Try something new.
- Start a project – find something that you like to do and finish it.
- Eat winter mood foods – embrace the winter theme and try new foods.
- Use a sun lamp.
- Sit by a warm fire.
If you’re feeling the winter blues you might give one of these or a couple of these things a try, and remember that spring is almost here!
Have a great day!