With the holidays behind us and a seemingly never-ending stretch of winter weeks ahead, you might notice you’ve started feeling a little down. Often dubbed the “winter blues,” it’s common to experience feelings of depression and unhappiness when days get shorter and temperatures drop. While more severe cases may be diagnosed as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and require professional treatment, many instances of the winter blues can be improved with small tweaks and habit changes.
If you find yourself struggling with your moods this winter, try one of these five tips:
Exercise
Finding your gym motivation is certainly harder when it’s dark and cold, but sticking to an exercise routine is the best way to stimulate your brain. Even making time for a short walk every day can help release helpful mood stabilizing neurotransmitters, like dopamine and endorphins.
Minimize sugar and simple carbohydrates
While you don’t need to change your diet drastically to handle the winter blues, limiting your sugar intake and focusing on consuming more complex carbohydrates can help you avoid blood sugar spikes and keep your energy up. Focus on adding more foods like green leafy vegetables, lentils, sweet potatoes and whole grains into your daily rotation.
Find the light
Whether it’s going for a walk during your lunch break, spending more time in rooms that have adequate natural light or trying light therapy, research shows that exposing your body to more sunlight — synthetic or otherwise — can boost your mood and fight off low-energy feelings. That means when extra sunny days do happen, don’t waste them; instead, bundle up and get outdoors.
Make winter-specific plans
Even if winter gets you down, you can still find joy in embracing certain winter-specific traditions. Plan a ski weekend with friends, go ice skating, invite people over for a hot chocolate tasting or host a chili cook-off. Spending quality time with your friends and loved ones can have serious positive effects on your mood.
Embrace the coziness
If being stuck inside when it’s cold and dark has you down, find a way to embrace the inherent coziness of winter. Treat yourself to a new pair of slippers and create a relaxing evening routine. Take a note from the Danish and practice a little hygge.
Of course, if your winter blues start to feel like more than just being a little down, check in with your doctor immediately. You deserve to feel your best in all seasons.