We’re no strangers to the realities of seasonal depression. Luckily you're not alone in dealing with it! We have everything you need to give yourself a proper mood lift and get back into the holiday spirit!
There are plenty of ways to deal with seasonal depression during the fall/winter season. Some of us handle the darker, colder days a bit different than others - and that's okay! If you’re not too happy about saying goodbye to the summer weather, here are some ways to give yourself a mood lift and keep your heart and soul elevated during the shorter days ahead!
Our main source of vitamin D comes from sunlight, which is something we see a lot less of during the fall and winter. Not only is there less of it throughout the day, but many of us choose to bundle up and stay indoors, limiting our intake even more. Supplementing this is a great way of replenishing your body of an essential vitamin.
We’ve all heard it before, but it will always be repeated nevertheless. Exercise is happiness fuel! Make yourself some form of exercise routine that you can stick with and actually enjoy. Preferably start exercising earlier in the day, if possible, so you can set the mood for the rest of your day!
This may seem a bit obvious, but we really take warmth for granted sometimes. While we may dread the heat sometimes during the summer, we quickly realize how much we miss it during the colder months. Make sure you are properly layering when you go out and also invest in some great quality warm-season blankets that you can bring out during the fall and winter. If you have a fireplace, use it and set the tone for a nice night-in! Anything that keeps you nice and toasty is usually a recipe for comfort!
Now this may not always be the most affordable option- but if it is available to you and you’ve been putting off taking some time off from work, now is the time. A lot of us work so hard and forget to use our well-deserved vacation time, creating a huge atmosphere of stress that seems to never go away. Take some time and visit that city, state, or country you've been dreaming about seeing. Go alone, if you have to- learn to love some time away by yourself! If traveling isn’t an option, maybe use those vacation days to get off work and explore your local area a bit more. Or use it to catch up on some sleep! Whatever you choose to do with that time off, you definitely deserve it.
This may vary depending on where you live, but just because its a bit colder doesn't mean we have to stop going outside altogether. If you live where it snows, try out snowboarding or skiing- or even just have a snowman building competition with your family/friends! If you don't get snow, you can use that to your advantage and enjoy other outdoor activities that can remain comfortable for you like BBQing, swimming, bike riding, etc.
If you are a morning person, you already know that the sun comes out much earlier during the fall/winter months. And we love taking advantage of that by getting up extra earlier and starting our days a bit sooner than usual. Not only can we enjoy the sun a bit more, we become a bit more productive when we start our days sooner than later. With a nice head start to the day, we can usually take the rest of the night to rest-up and relax!
If you have some hobbies that you can continue to partake in despite the cold weather, continue doing them as much as possible! If for some reason you can't, or you just feel bored- go out and experiment with that hobby you've been meaning to try! There's always a reason to say “tomorrow”, but we think NOW is the time to make that leap into a newfound passion project!
Get into the habit of telling yourself how awesome you are, everyday! Something a ton of us will do, is compliment our loved ones and celebrate their accomplishments - yet do the exact opposite towards ourselves. If you wouldn't talk down to your brother, best friend, or coworker… why should we do it to ourselves? Start every morning or task with an affirmation, no matter how small it may be. Get out of bed and tell yourself “I’m going to kick today’s butt!” Whatever your affirmation may be, you don't have to believe it. But if you say it long it enough, you’ll start to realize it’s true.
Our final piece of advice is try and nurture something you're passionate about. Love cooking but haven't been in the mood to cook lately? Get a new cookbook to go through! Haven't practiced your instrument in a couple of weeks? Try to learn your favorite bands most recent songs! Whatever it is that you love to do and are proud of, make sure you invest some time, effort, and sometimes money into those passions. We are not around long enough to put off doing the things we love. Nurture those passions and enjoy the time you spend participating in them!
Although you may be spending more time indoors, that doesn't mean we should stop making time to pamper ourselves and make ourselves feel gorgeous! Take some time for yourself and book a health and/or beauty treatment with MOBILESTYLES and have a PRO come directly to your doorstep, no matter where you are. A nice relaxing massage may do the trick in alleviating your winter blues!
At the end of the day, it is okay to feel down. We all have different experiences, and different ways of coping with sadness. Be sure to take proactive steps to combat those negative feelings, no matter how small that step is. Hopefully these mood lift tips come in handy and make your holiday season extra cheerful this year!
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