10 Tips To Beat Winter Blues!

Ah winter. The light snowfall, the joyful holiday season, the crisp cool air. Sounds lovely. Except for many people, winter is a cold, sad, and dreary time. It's easy to experience seasonal depression. I used to hate winter because of how it would drain me emotionally! I felt tired, lethargic, and unmotivated...which took a real toll on my health.

However, I now LOVE winter, (just not quite as much as summer) and am here to give you some easy ways to combat that feeling we sometimes get when the leaves fall off the trees, the sun sets way too early, and we start unpacking our winter gear in preparation for those hibernation months…

But first, why am I talking about beating the winter blues?

Depending on where you live—New York City versus Los Angeles—winter will either be something you dread or something that passes you by without noticing.

Sometimes even people who live in the warmer states like California experience cyclical changes that affect their moods and disposition.

The extreme form of this is called SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder. SAD is a cyclical form of depression caused by changes in the circadian rhythm—a 24-hour cycle that regulates biochemical processes in the body.

For some people, as the hours of sunlight decrease in the fall and winter, their circadian rhythm cycle can become disrupted. The hormone melatonin and the neurotransmitter serotonin suddenly drop in the winter and this causes lethargy, depression, irritability, cravings, weight gain, and other poor heath outcomes.

So what are my top 10 tips for beating the winter blues?

1. Take Vitamin D3:

Vitamin D3 is not actually a vitamin, it’s a steroid hormone manufactured in the body from direct exposure to sunlight. Because sunlight is weak or scarce in some winters, be sure to buy Vitamin D3 supplements to make up for lost sunlight!

2. Invest in a high quality light therapy sun lamp:

Light therapy sunlamps are often household necessities in states that suffer from lack of winter sunshine like Washington. Be sure to invest in a high quality sun lamp that you can use throughout the day for 15 minutes at a time.

3. Hibernate happily:

Sometimes it’s best to surrender to winter and take up hibernation like a bear. You can watch movies you’ve always wanted to see, curl up on the couch with a good book you’ve been meaning to read, or get all cozy by the fire in your favorite woolly socks.

4. Eat warm, nourishing comfort foods:

Use this time to make those rich bean soups and hearty squash and root vegetable stews that you’ve been wanting to try. It will nourish and warm your body and spirit. It will also give you an outlet for eating healthy comfort food which helps with cravings!

5. Watch comedy shows and improv that make you laugh out loud:

Laughter is the best medicine. Download your favorite comedian and watch the show till you have a stitch in your side from laughing, put on your sexy winter boots and invite a friend out to see your favorite comedian live, or simply make sure to spend extra time with loved ones who make you laugh!

6. Layer up and go for walks outside in the cold, fresh air:

Just because it’s cold outside, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be outside. As long as you layer up with woolly hats, down jackets, and long johns, even the snow and sleet will be your friend. Take a stroll on a freezing wintery evening and return home refreshed. Embrace the cold! Don't give the cold air any power over you. Change your mindset and let the cold air invigorate you!

7. Spend time soaking it up in a hot tub or sauna:

There is nothing that raises your body heat quite like soaking it up in a hot tub or sauna. Just do it weekly throughout winter! You can’t go wrong. It also helps with detoxification...BONUS!

8. Find a movement class that makes you sweat:

Getting your body moving floods you with feel-good endorphins. So find a high energy dance class like Zumba, African Dance, or even belly dancing and get your groove on. Then treat yourself to a cup of hot chocolate afterwards with your new dance buddy. If you can't afford a dance class, there are thousands of free classes online!

9. Buy some great looking winter outfits so you don’t feel frumpy:

Take all your old, moth-eaten sweaters to Goodwill and buy yourself some sexy, head-turning winter gear like leggings and boots so you can go out and about in style.

10. Take a vacation somewhere sunny or tropical:

If the winter months are simply unbearable, there is nothing that breaks it up better than a short vacation to a sunny place like Hawaii or Mexico. It will give you the boost to get through the rest of the winter… this time with a tan! If you can't make it happen this year, start budgeting now for next year! Plan for success!

How will I know which of these tips will work for me?

Good question!

Start by picking your top three that just jump out at you. Those are the ones that obviously appeal to you the most—so that’s a great place to start!

Next, schedule a time on your calendar to actually do them starting tomorrow.

So if you picked hot tub, movement class, and nourishing soup, then go out today and buy the ingredients for the soup to cook tomorrow, find a movement class you can start next week, and treat yourself to your local hot tub spa on the weekend!

Once you’ve done these three, then keep doing them if you enjoy them or ditch them if you don’t! And then start adding more from your top 10 list until pretty soon winter will be over and you will yearn to do it all over again!

What do I do now?

If you are one of those people prone to the winter blues and you want to make sure not to fall into that rut this year, then schedule a time to chat with me about more ways to make your winter months not only bearable but pleasurable too!

In some areas, the cold weather is half the year. If half the year you are feeling unmotivated, tired, and lethargic, then no wonder you're struggling with your health!

I can help you come up with a plan that feels good in your bones + implement it and follow through so that you can beat the winter blues this year for real!