Simple Tips for Relieving the Winter Blues

First winter storm of 2014

Photo credit: AJ Batac

As winter wears on, many of us in cold climates – which is pretty much the entire northern hemisphere these days – might notice that our family, friends and co-workers are not their perky selves. Something seems to happen in January that transforms this season from a snowy holiday wonderland into a never-ending nightmare. Here are some tips to keep your spirits up and your stress down as you wait for the gray to go away:

•    Get more Vitamin D: Adequate Vitamin D levels have been credited with reducing the risk for various conditions, including heart disease and depression. Sunlight is a major source of the vitamin, which presents a problem for people who don’t see it for weeks at a time. Try to make up for the lost rays via supplements, ultraviolet lamps and Vitamin D-rich foods, which according to the Huffington Post include:

  1. Mushrooms
  2. Fatty fish (e.g. salmon, trout, mackerel, tuna and eel)
  3. Orange Juice
  4. Eggs
  5. Fortified foods (cereal, soy milk, tofu, etc.)

•    Surround yourself with humor: This is true year-round, but especially in dreary months, be sure to spend plenty of time with good-natured folks who err on the side of optimism. Moods are contagious, and the last thing you need when you’re in a funk is to be surrounded by negativity.

•    Use the weather to your advantage: Don’t feel like going out at all this weekend? Nobody expects you to! Use the blustery cold as your excuse to hibernate sans judgment.

•    Try to stay healthy: Nothing brings a bad mood lower like the flu on top of it. Take good care of yourself and stay home if you’re sick!

•    Be understanding: It’s cold! Not just chilly cold, but “it feels like my lungs are collapsing every time I step outside” cold.  And that’s not likely to change for the forseeable future. So try not to take it personally if the people in your life are a bit crabbier than usual. It probably has nothing to do with you.

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AboutMichelle McCafferty

Michelle joined the Proforma team in 2008. As the Manager of Business Development for Major Accounts, she helps Proforma Owners win new and grow existing programs through proposal and presentation development, as well as periodic Relationship Reviews. Before joining Proforma, Michelle attended Cleveland State University where she earned a degree in Journalism and Promotional Communication.

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