During the cold, dark winter months of the year, a lot of people can feel more affected by being stuck inside with less sunlight exposure. This happens to quite a few people, and it can lead to feelings of depression, irritation, decreased energy and an overall feeling that things are ‘off’. If you think this describes you during the winter, I have a few suggestions you may be able to take. This is a list of things I like to do during the winter– big and small– that help me get out of bed and move around a little bit so that I don’t feel as  ‘off’. 

Stretching

Sometimes, after lounging in bed for a little longer than I should’ve, I get up and feel sluggish or sore because of the inactivity. To combat this, depending on how I feel, I lay out a mat and put on a 10 minute stretching video I found on Youtube. I make sure not to push myself too hard; the aim is to just  move around and (hopefully) feel better. If I don’t feel well enough to do this, I just stretch my arms up and move my head around before trying to touch my toes and going from there. As I was in dance previously, I often use stretches that we used before and after practice to help me. 

If I’ve been sitting at my desk typing or drawing for a long time, I always always stretch my wrists to avoid permanent injury from overuse. This can be a good start to a full routine! There are many resources online that can help but it’s important to take everything with a grain of salt and check multiple sources to figure out what’s really the best for you. Listen to your body and what it needs first and foremost.

Tasty Food

Once I feel hungry enough, I try to get up and eat some form of sustenance that will help wake me up. This means avoiding candy and excess sugar (this will only give a temporary release of sugar, and you will crash within an hour of eating this, making you feel worse than when you started) and going for something that will help, like a fruit, vegetable, or even just a buttered piece of toast. It doesn’t have to be the most outrageously healthy thing in the world, just something that will actually power you up. My personal favourites are, as previously mentioned, buttered toast, combined with fruits like an apple or banana. I also like a bowl of yogurt, or even a cup of tea. I prefer fruity teas like a herbal blueberry or raspberry, but you can pick whatever you’d like! A good old glass of cold water in your favourite cup or bottle can also be helpful to uplift you.

Starting Work

Once you’re done the first two steps, you start to think, “what’s next?” I always think of getting back into bed and turning on Tiktok for the next three hours. However, I know that for me, this will  always make me feel worse in the long run. Instead, I reach for something relatively productive, like any schoolwork that may have been due or a personal passion project.  It might be building that half-finished lego set that’s been collecting dust or journaling a page about how you feel. It might be making a todo list, depending on the time of the day, and making preparations to start something tomorrow. It could be measuring out ingredients to bake something or scheduling to go out.

Get Out of the House

When I eventually feel well enough, I try to get out of the house. That can be going for a walk outside, going to the local skating rink, sledding, or going to a mall or store. It helps to not be as secluded at home, and you might even want to invite a friend or family member with you to these activities for an extra happiness boost. There are so many things to do outside of the house that can help with feeling down over the winter, and it doesn’t always have to involve spending any crazy money either! It can be as simple as going to a local park and enjoying the fresh air, rain or shine. Just be sure to wear appropriate clothing for the weather!

This was a list of things that have personally helped me in the past and will probably help me in the future! Remember that you can’t always be at your best and nobody expects you to be, and it’s totally okay to take that time for yourself in bed as long as you can then pick yourself up and take care of both yourself and your responsibilities. I’m also not some sort of magical person that has the solutions to everything, either, so it’s also important to be proactive and think for yourself and what will ultimately make you feel better. Winter is hard for a lot of people, and I haven’t even brushed upon the topic of finals and diplomas that might make you want to sink into bed and ignore your problems further, but I hope that this list helps you make the right decisions for yourself.