Nine good ideas for kicking the winter blues!

1. Exercise  Getting exercise isn’t only for maintaining your weight and staying healthy, because it also relieves stresses of life. It also the effects of a good workout can last for several hours after you hit the showers. Most people have more energy throughout the day, and your metabolism with stay elevated. 
2. Healthy Diet We need to avoid refined and processed foods (like white breads, rice, and sugar). Most of these foods cause your body to loose energy and can cause depression,lack of concentration, and mood swings. Eat more fruits and veggies and wholegrains and get your daily 8 cups of water. 
   
3. Get Some Sun
   Sun provides us with Vitamin D, and can help improve your mood. Try leaving your curtains and blinds open for the sunlight to come in, it will improve your mood.
   
4. Avoid Binge Drinking
   Beer and wine may seem like a good thing to do, but in the winter we tend to stay inside and our moods become more depressed like. Alcohol is a depressant so moderate drinking is a good idea.
   
5. Treat Yourself
   Plan a weekned trip, special day, or party to have something to look forward to and keep your mood up. Most times having somthing to look forward to keeps you excited and improves your mood.
   
6. Relax!
   Life is busy! Work, class, family, friends, appointments, meetings are just a few things that take over, so take time for you! Try to spend a few minutes each day doing nothing! Read a book or magazine, sleep in on the weekend, go to bed early, try some meditations, or take in a movie. There are yoga classes for mental and body exercises like meditation and positive thinking can help keep depression at bay.
   
7. Enjoy the Season
   Try to enjoy some of the weather, and see what it has to offer! Some people take up a winter sport like ice skating, snowboarding, hockey, or even sledding! Staying active will boost your energy. Try to see winter in a positive light, with all the fun activities that it has to offer, will keep your spirits high.
   
8. Social Support
   Friends, family, mentors, co-workers, and neighbors are people you can turn to for some pick-me-up times. Something as simple as a phone call, a chat over coffee, or a nice email or letter can brighten your mood.
   
9. Take some naps and catch up  Try to aim for 7-8 hours each night, and try to keep your bedtime and waking time consistent. That way, your sleeping patterns can normalize and you’ll have more energy. Though, don't oversleep, because it will actually make you more tired and lathargic. Also, don’t forget naps! A short 10-30 minute afternoon nap may be all you need to re-energize midday.