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:
- Mushrooms
- Fatty fish (e.g. salmon, trout, mackerel, tuna and eel)
- Orange Juice
- Eggs
- 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.
Related articles
