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In this world, there are two types of people: those who love winter and those who can’t wait for it to be over and done with. The cold isn’t even the worst part of it for the second group. The winter blues can be caused by a plethora of things like seasonal depression, vitamin D deficiency, or even unwanted weight gain. Combating the winter blues isn’t an impossible task, although it may seem like it.
Winter can have its benefits and, with a little forethought, you can avoid most of its drawbacks. To help you get through the coldest and darkest months of the year, here are some useful tips on how to beat the winter blues.
Align Your Schedule With The Daylight
Why not give the early bird schedule a try for a few months if you’re usually a night owl? Staying up into the wee hours of the night can do some major mental damage to your body; physically and mentally. To get the most out of your day, it’s best to get up earlier rather than wait until the last possible moment to do so; if you sleep in too long, you might only have a few hours of daylight left, and this can make you feel worse.
As soon as you’ve gotten out of bed, head over to your window and take a big deep breath. Breathe in the sunlight to wake up your internal clock. The sooner you can get outdoors the better. Let your body know it is daylight out. Be as active as possible. Even on the coldest of days, a stroll in the sunshine is a great way to get your day back on track. If you live in an area where natural light is scarce, you might want to consider purchasing a light therapy lamp or try out these naturally-based sleep drops for a better night’s sleep!
Find New Ways To Exercise
It can be easy to make excuses not to work out when the weather is horrible during the winter. But take advantage of those bright, brisk days and go for a walk or run. Coming from a girl who lives in the 114-degree summer heat, trust me, take advantage of the brisk cold days. Your internal body temperature will heat right up and you won’t even notice!
If going to the gym in the cold is a real problem, consider creating a workout plan that you can follow from at home. I’ve been using yoga wake-up for over three years now. They have a variety of yoga and meditation practices for all hours of the day and all skill sets. All you need is a mat, some workout clothes, and a place to do your exercises to follow along with the many sessions available online.
Use code JOJO with Yoga Wake Up for a free trial!
Treat Yourself To Some Comfort Food
Comfort foods provide numerous advantages – at least emotionally and psychologically, if not physically. Foods that contain dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to sensations of pleasure, relaxation, and warmth, can elicit memories of care and love. This is why your mom’s lasagna will always put you in a good mood, or grandma’s cherry pie just never gets old.From snacks to main courses, and even to a dose of hot chocolate with cocoa powder, you can’t go wrong with comfort food. Food is love and the best form of love is self-love, so there you have it.
And this is not an altogether bad thing. Of course, everything must be enjoyed in moderation, but if you’re having a bad day during the winter, eating your favorite comfort food will instantly make you feel better.
Change Your Hair And Skin Routine
Winter’s toll on your hair and skin is often underestimated: ripped cuticles, split ends, chapped lips, and scaly skin due to severe wind, freezing temperatures, and inefficient indoor heating. Not only could a switch of your products be beneficial but a technique called dry skin brushing can be highly effective too. Dry brushing unclogs pores in the exfoliation process. Our pores can open up and we can detoxify our skin. It also helps detoxify your skin by increasing blood circulation and promoting lymph drainage. Begin from the feet and work your way up to the heart and around the back in circular motions for about five minutes before taking a shower.
If you want to know more about combatting winter dryness check out my post on 3 Vegan Products You Need in the Winter Time.
The biggest factor in beating the winter blues is changing your routine. Sometimes we can get stuck in our own ways and we begin to think our days are long and boring. A book that has ultimately changed my perspective on a lot of things is 100 Days to Brave by Annie Downs. This has daily activities for you to tap into your inner bravery.
