5 Ways to Shake the Seasonal Blues

This is the most common time of year for people to start experiencing an overall feeling of discontent with their lives. Some researchers even claim that seasonal mood disorders are a common complaint amongst patients who tend to feel more depressed during fall and winter months. Here are a few top ways to shake the seasonal slump and boost your mental health until Spring:

Make a goal for the Spring: One way to forget about the winter blues is to start planning for the warmer months ahead. Plan a trip for April or give yourself a weight loss goal to hit by May. Giving yourself something to look forward to will help you forget about the stagnant feeling you have right now.

Get outdoors even if it’s cold: Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you have to stay locked in the house. Take up a winter sport or just get outside for a stroll once a day and breathe some fresh air. Oftentimes a lack of sunshine is the reason for seasonal mood disorders so just getting outside to take in a little sun can do you some good. Too often we succumb to cabin fever when we really need to dust off our snow boots and get out into nature.

Socialize More: When the weather gets especially frigid and intolerable there’s no reason to bear it alone. Call that friend you’ve been meaning to get in touch with or plan a dinner party for a few pals. Having friendly faces around is refreshing.

Go on a healthy eating binge: Many of us start to feel unhealthy this time of year and a lack of in-season fruits and vegetables at the grocery store doesn’t help. But don’t resort to TV dinners just yet. Incorporate as much fresh produce as possible into your diet this time of year to make sure you are still getting all the vitamins your body needs. When all else fails go for canned or frozen alternatives.

Reaffirm your new year’s resolutions: Oftentimes new year’s resolutions are in full swing after the Holidays but come February and March, they begin to taper off. Get re-motivated to strive towards your new years resolutions or, make up a few new ones! Dreary weather provides no better opportunity for creating a personal finance budget or organizing the laundry room- tasks you won’t want to take on when the weather is beautiful.