8 Tips for Staying Happy and Healthy this Winter

For some teenagers, winter means wanting to hole up at home and never leave. In severe cases, some people may be suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder – a form of depression thought to be triggered by a lack of sunlight in the winter, which can wreak havoc on your biological clock.

Whether it’s our changing habits or changing light, winter can take a toll on students’ motivation with classes and other obligations. However, it’s important to try to maintain some of the same activities that you did in the warmer months. 

Below are some ideas for taking care of yourself in the winter. There are no big surprises on this list, but taking extra care of your health and happiness in the winter can help you stay motivated with school and other activities.

  1. Eat right and get enough sleep. This is always important, but even more so in the winter, when we’re more susceptible to getting sick. Feeling healthy and well-rested is a huge mood-booster.
  2. Adjust your wakeup time. There are less hours of daylight during the winter, so maximize them! Yes, this means waking up a little earlier, which can be tough, especially for teenagers, but the increasing darkness can really have a toll on your mental health.
  3. Make sure you aren’t trying to do too much.  Don’t load yourself up with too many activities or too many challenging classes;  you’ll feel better if you have more time to rest and recharge.
  4. Spend more time with your friends and family. Use this time to do winter activities together, even if that just means curling up on the couch to watch a movie. Focus on you and the people you care about most.
  5. If the weather is really bringing you down, make some plans for the spring and summer. Turn your daydreams about warmth and sun into something you can look forward to.
  6. Get your creativity into gear. Is there something you’ve been meaning to try out or something you love doing but never seem to have the time? Doing and making something using your creativity not only makes you happy, it can improve your ability to focus and learn when it comes to school.
  7. Read a book. Books can boost your mood while boosting your intelligence too!
  8. Get outside. Bundling up for the snow and cold can itself seem like too much effort, but spending time outdoors is still, if not more important to feeling revitalized. Getting some exercise and fresh air will do wonders for your mood and motivation.

Kale B. Connerty
Boston Tutoring Services

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