Keeping Away the Winter Blues
With the stress of the winter holidays behind us and as we move into the longer parts of winter, many people may begin to struggle with being chronically down. Seasonal depression is something that is completely natural as most people are outside less, getting less vitamin D from the sunshine and have less activities happening, as most people do not want to brave the fierce winter weather. So here are some ways to help keep away those winter blues and keep your mental health a priority!
Make time for the activities you love
Although you might not be able to do all of the activities that you enjoy, making time for things that drive you and make you excited is imperative to keeping that smile on your face. Make it a priority to set time aside to do the hobbies and fun things that you and your loved ones enjoy. Along that thought, invite over those friends that you have been thinking about and keep forgetting to contact–give them a call or invite them over for a game night! Make time for the things that you love doing as well as the people whose company you enjoy.
Exercise Often
You might be one of the thousands of Americans that put going to the gym or working on it as their New Years Resolution. Do your best to keep up that momentum to exercise this year! Not only will it improve your physical health but it will help assist your mental health as well. Keeping those endorphins up this winter will help fight off those winter blues.
Write it all Down
Consider starting a journal this year. Although this can seem like a daunting task, having a safe space to store all of those difficult emotions and things that can be hard to share can be exceptionally beneficial to your mind that is tormented with all these feelings. A journal does not need to be this pretty, Pinterest-ready space. It can be a space for just your eyes where you allow all those feelings to simply be what they are and accept them as they come your way.