Many of us struggle in late Fall when it gets darker earlier, the wind starts to make your hands dry and your lips chapped, and it’s cloudy half of the week. These changes remind us of what’s coming next: Winter.
It’s really important to find your own ways to stay positive and motivated during the season shift! You may find some of these tips helpful:
1. Give yourself the sleep you need
Sleep is one of the biggest cycles that gets offset during this time of year. Our circadian rhythm takes some time to adjust to the sun setting and rising at different times. Make sure you give yourself your 8 hours of sleep as often as you can, those crucial 8 hours will give you tons of benefits in return! Try not to sleep too much, as some of us feel inclined to do during this time of year, it will only make keeping your sleep schedule regular more difficult.
2. Put in the social effort
It can definitely be hard to socialize during the Winter. One way to keep from getting into a pattern of always canceling plans is to plan small events to look forward to. If you’re supposed to spend time with a friend a certain day, plan something out for the two of you instead of leaving it up in the air. This could be baking a cool desert you saw on Pinterest and watching a movie, or it could be trying a new restaurant you’ve always said you’d go to – anything to actually get you to socialize!
3. Get outdoors!
Although the cold isn’t that appealing, it’s important to spend the time outside anyway. You especially want to take advantage of the hours when it is light outside. Put on your cozy layers and take a walk, even if it’s just for a few minutes! You are guaranteed to feel better about the rest of the day if you take a few minutes to enjoy the daylight outside
4. Exercising
Yes, exercise is always good for you, but exercising during a season change is critical to how your fitness plan will continue throughout the next few months. If it’s starting to get colder and darker out and you don’t feel like hitting the gym or find yourself skipping you favorite yoga class, think about how much harder it would be to get back into the groove once winter hits. So find a fun fitness class you’ve never tried before or join a new gym with a workout buddy.
5. Find a new activity/hobby
A lot of people partake in different activities in the Winter than they do in the Summer. It is a good idea to start something different that interests you now, that you can carry through the Winter. It could be an exciting project like re-organizing or re-decorating your room or apartment. It could be trying a new coffee place once a week, or making a list of books you’ve been wanting to read. The point is that you need to create something for you to look forward to and concentrate on.