Between holiday stress, grim weather, and seasonal depression, winter can be a difficult time for a lot of us. It’s easy to curl up in a blanket and wait for spring. However, trying to hibernate isn’t always the best choice for your body or your mood.
Reduced levels of sunlight in fall and winter disrupt your body’s circadian rhythm and your routine. Less sunlight can also cause a decrease in serotonin, a brain chemical that affects your mood, and an increase in melatonin, which makes you feel tired. This is especially difficult because our life schedules—school, work, and other commitments—don’t shift to accommodate seasonal changes.
One of the best things you can do for yourself this winter is maintaining a healthy routine in your everyday life. Here are some tips and resources to help you look after your mental and physical selves this season.
It’s easy to stick to carbs and sweets while you feel like sleeping all day, but maintaining a healthy diet will make your body and mind feel better and strengthen your immune system.
The best way to make sure your body gets everything it needs is to plan meals and prep ahead so you don’t run out of food mid-week. When you’re making a menu, keep in mind:
Fruit and veggies. Fruit and vegetables contain important antioxidants (and taste delicious). If fresh produce is hard to find, frozen and canned fruit and vegetables contain many of the same nutrients.
Garlic. Garlic not only tastes great, but it helps your body fight disease. Dice up a few cloves and toss it in your pasta sauce, soup, or stir-fry.
Vitamin D. During the darkest months of the year, your body can quickly become vitamin D deficient, which causes bone pain, muscle weakness, and makes you susceptible to a whole slew of health problems. Fish, mushrooms, egg yolks, and fortified orange juice are all great ways to treat yourself to some vitamin D.
Spinach (and other leafy greens). Green leafy vegetables are rich in iron and zinc, which boost your immune system against viruses--really important right now! If spinach and kale aren’t your favorite snacks, toss them into a soup or stir fry and you’ll barely notice.
Citrus. No one wants scurvy this holiday season. Citrus fruit like oranges and clementines, along with sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and red peppers, are an important source of vitamin C. Vitamin C helps strengthen your immune system and improves your energy levels.
Don’t forget to hydrate. It might be the season of hot chocolate and cider, but your body needs water too. Spice up your plain H2O with some chopped berries or cucumber for a fancy twist.
Another important thing to include in your winter routine is exercise. Studies suggest that 30-40 minutes of moderate physical intensity a day can have long-lasting positive effects on your mood and health, so don’t let the cold weather stop you!
Try seeking out an exercise partner to keep you motivated and make time to exercise in the morning or on your lunch break when it’s still light. Even if you’re following a Zumba video in your living room, exercising during the daytime helps you stay focused and complete your workout. You can also plan four ten-minute dance breaks to groove along to favorite songs throughout the day, or mini-yoga sessions. Exercise doesn’t have to feel daunting. You can break it up into small, doable chunks of time.
Some ways you can incorporate mental wellbeing into your daily winter routine:
Shift your schedule to accommodate the sun. Spending time outside, especially within two hours of waking up, is incredibly important. Wake up early and go for a walk before your commitments or make sure you’re blocking off an hour to soak up the sun during your lunch break.
Welcome light into your home. Open your blinds, set up a workspace in the sunniest spot in your house, and make sure you have plenty of lamps for when the sun goes down.
Practice affirmations. You can write, speak, or simply focus on a phrase that promotes positive thinking and manifesting joy.
Meditate with your favorite app (we love Calm, Headspace, and InsightTimer), a YouTube video, or guide yourself on a short daily meditation to center and focus yourself. Start with 3-5 minutes a day right when you wake up. As you get more comfortable, try meditating a little longer until you feel completely settled.
Join an online community. Whether it’s a Discord for Animal Crossing, a Zoom knitting club, or a Facebook mindfulness group, dependable activities from the safety of your home gives you something to look forward to every week.
Winter can feel long with the dark, cold nights, but there is still a lot of light and joy to be found if you know how to look for it.
What are your favorite ways to get through the season? Let us know in the comments below.
