Struggling to Stay Positive When It’s Cold? 4 Things That May Help!

A lot of people may not realize it, but the cold weather has a critical impact on your overall health. During the fall and winter, people are more inclined towards feeling anxious, sad, and even depressed. If you have these symptoms then you may be experiencing seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a condition that occurs when the season's change and people develop depression or other medical illnesses because of the weather outside. According to Psychology Today, approximately 10 million Americans suffer from seasonal affective disorder. It’s important to recognize if you are negatively affected by colder temperatures, so you can take the necessary steps to fix it. Here are four ways to help overcome the negativity you feel during the cold weather months. 

Exercise

Exercise is a great way to take your mind off of worrying about the weather. Instead of focusing on how much you dread the colder months, focus your energy on adopting healthy habits like exercising and eating healthy. The best thing about exercising is that there are so many activities that you can try. Running, swimming, tai-chi, yoga and even just walking are a few. If you are not someone who avidly works out, that’s okay too. You do not need to be a professional to learn how to properly exercise your body and become a more active individual. All you need to do is determine your goals and then develop a plan to achieve it. Start off with simple goals so you don’t get overwhelmed and discouraged. If you find yourself not being properly motivated to achieve your goals, then you may need outside help. Going on a fitness retreat may be exactly the help you need to accomplish your goals.

Yoga

Practicing yoga techniques can promote wellness, prosperity and enrichment in most individual's lives. Yoga involves actively engaging both your mind and body to reach the perfect amount of relaxation and contentment. The deep breathing techniques used during yoga are one of the most beneficial elements, because it can help relax and relieve any stress you may have been accumulating throughout the day. Deep breathing can help lower your blood pressure, reduce stress and help manage anxiety. Not only is yoga good for your mental wellbeing, but your physical well-being as well. Certain yoga poses can be used as an addition to your workout regimen because they help to stretch and strengthen certain parts of the body. Plus, individuals of all ages and skill levels can practice yoga. There are many poses that will compliment where you are, whether you are a beginner or at an advanced level. 

Redecorating

When contemplating what needs to be done to keep a positive outlook on life, most people don’t consider their homes. It’s important for your house to be a place of comfort and happiness. Going inside of your home after a long day should bring a smile to your face, rather than a scowl. You can't make the weather get warmer, but you can design your home to be a place that you’d never want to leave. Assess what you like and don’t like about your house. Determine if these things can be fixed and if they are within your budget. Then break down the things that you would like to change by room, that way you don’t get overwhelmed if you have a lot of things that need changing. Your bedroom is one of the more crucial areas of the house that should be to your liking, especially since sleep is one of the most important elements of health. Not having the proper amount of quality sleep can impair how you function in your daily life. A new mattress and sheets may be just the thing you need to help you find solace in your bedroom. After that, think about bringing some coziness to your living room, with soft blankets and pillows, since that’s where most people spend a good portion of their time. Regardless of what room you begin with, just make sure the changes you make are perfect for your personal style. 

A Vacation

Take some time off and treat yourself, especially if you cannot tolerate the frigid weather any longer. People tend to forget that self-care is a vital part of living a healthy and positive life. If you never assess how your feeling, then you're essentially operating in a constant state of stress. Don’t allow yourself to get into the unhealthy habit of not analyzing how both your body and mind feel. Traveling to a warmer location, like Florida, may be just the thing you need to counteract these dreary months. The break will provide you with plenty of benefits. Going to a warmer location with more sunshine means that you’ll be getting vitamin D, which plays a vital role in how energized and refreshed you feel. Not only will you get some much-needed sun exposure, but you’ll also get some time away from the chilly temperatures that have you feeling gloomy. Planning a trip isn't easy or cheap though. If you can anticipate that fall and winter will leave you feeling sad, try saving money during the summer so you can take a vacation later in the year. Not all vacations need to be a week-long affair either. So if you cannot afford a longer trip, think about taking going somewhere over the weekend. It’s more affordable and doesn't require you to take too many days off of work.  

In Conclusion

Make sure you are taking note of how you feel on a daily basis, because you may be feeling down due to seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Overcoming SAD won’t be easy, but hopefully by implementing these techniques you will be able to cope with the effects of low temperatures and dark skies. However, you may need to get the opinion of a medical professional to properly diagnose and treat SAD if these natural methods do not help.  

Journal your daily activity, mood and food intake with our Balanced Eating Journal. This helpful tool can enable you to track how you are responding and feeling to determine if any patterns need to be assessed further.

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