5 Easy Steps To Beat The Winter Blues

Do you feel that your mood and energy have started to drop over the past few weeks? Do you dread the thoughts of getting out of your warm bed every morning? Welcome to the winter blues. 11 Million Americans and more than 12 million Europeans suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Beating the winter blues doesn’t have to be an annual event when you simply wish away the months until spring comes along. You can take a few simple steps that will have you feeling more upbeat, positive and full of energy in no time at all. So instead of dreading the winter months like I once did, you can begin to look forward to it as the beautiful time of the year that it is. Full of exciting change, hope and personal transformation.
Are you ready to banish those winter blues?

Let There Be Light

The days will now be shorter for the next few months and your body will crave for all of the light that it can possibly get. Start by opening all of the curtains or blinds during the day and let in as much light as possible. Then turn on the lights and fill your home or office with light. If you work in an office, try to move your desk near the window and maximise your exposure to any natural light. At home use a wonderful Himalayan salt lamp. Its beautiful warm glow will brighten up any room and will also help to lift your mood while doing so.

Time For Change

Remember those New Years resolutions that you made a few weeks ago? Are you still going to the gym like you said that you would? Have you given up smoking yet? This is a perfect time of the year to make some really exciting goals for your future. One of the best ways to stay inspired through the winter months is to set some short-term goals, and then reward yourself when you hit them. I have written an article about setting and achieving your exciting goals here.

Get Moving

It is scientifically proven that just 25 minutes of exercise each day can improve symptoms of mild to moderate depression. Why not set your alarm clock a little bit earlier in the morning and do some light aerobic exercise to start your day in the best possible way. It will get your circulation going and you will feel wide-awake after just a few minutes. Being more active will help to lift your mood, reduce stress and anxiety, improve your physical health, and give you more energy to get through your day. Sounds great to me!

Start A Gratitude Journal

You can begin or end each day by using a journal and writing down three things in your life that you are grateful for. We all have so much to be grateful for that we sometimes forget or take them for granted. Your health, your family, your friends, your positivity, your home, your job, today, the future, your goals, your dreams of the future are just a few to get you started. The list is pretty endless once you start this wonderful habit. The most important thing is that you start from today to show more gratitude. What three things are you are really grateful for?

Try Something Different

To add some variety into your life, why not try something completely different and use the next few weeks to get out of your comfort zone. Why not join an evening class and learn a new skill. Maybe join the local Yoga studio and really stretch those winter blues away. Why not let that budding artist out of you and try your hand with some adult coloring books.

There are so many ways to beat the winter blues. I hope that you will take positive action and make the decision today to take control and use the next few months as a time for exciting personal change.