Keep Your Energy Levels Up During The Dark Season

Many of us struggle to keep our energy levels up during the cold and dark winter. This podcast is dedicated to what you can do to keep going, even when you want to hibernate.

Tips for staying motivated during the cold and dark winter days

LIGHTING

• SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. During the dark season, make an effort to go outside rain, snow or shine. Even without a lot of daylight, being outside can brighten our moods.
• TAKE EXTRA BREAKS. During the dark season, it’s good to make an effort to take extra breaks to go outside or move our bodies. You can never go wrong with more movement and fresh air.
• TURN ON THE LIGHTS. Make the room really bright, and put the lights on before it gets dark to trick your body into thinking there’s still daylight. Some recommend closing the blinds so you don’t notice that it’s gotten dark.
• PHILIPS HUE LIGHTING. Many recommend investing into lighting that you can automatically control via a timer or your smart device.
• DIVERSIFY YOUR LIGHT SOURCES. In addition to going outside, try light therapy lamps or tanning beds.
• PLAN VACATIONS TO SUNNY PLACES. Sometimes, just looking at pictures and anticipating going somewhere warm and sunny can help us feel better.
• GO TO A SUNNY PLACE. Even better than planning a trip to a sunny place, is going to a sunny place. If you have the luxury to get out of your dark town and into the sunlight, take advantage of it and get some extra sun rays on your skin.

ENVIRONMENT

• BE AROUND NATURE. Even if you can’t get outside much – or if your environment is covered completely in ice and snow, you can bring nature and plants into your house. Surround yourself with plants, rocks, branches, whatever suits your fancy. According to Sue Thomas, even posting pictures of nature on our desktops can help make us feel better.
• CHANGE YOUR WORKSPACE. If you’re feeling sluggish and uninspired, try changing up your workspace. Go to a coffee shop, co-working space, library or hotel lobby. Spend time working with a friend, colleague or client.
• PUT ON SOME HIGH ENERGY MUSIC. Put together a playlist on your favorite music provider of high energy music. Collect some tunes that get your feet tapping and your shoulders bobbing to the beat.

HEALTH

• TAKE VITAMIN D. Please consult your doctor before taking my advice, but it’s widely known that increasing your vitamin D during the dark months can help beat the winter blues.
• INCREASE FAT & PROTEIN INTAKE. Again, this is not a professional health blog, so consult your physician before trying anything drastic. But it’s kind of intuitive to know that increasing fat and protein during the winter can help keep us warm and nourished, right?
• BREATHE. If you work behind a laptop then you have probably found yourself unhealthily hunched over. Sit up straight, put your shoulders back, and take some big breaths to get the oxygen circulating.
• DRINK MORE WATER. Feeling tired has been linked to not drinking enough water – and it’s pretty much always good to drink more water.
• MOVE MORE. Go outside and do something physical: go for a walk/run/swim/bike ride, chop wood, go ice skating, make snow angels, jump rope… anything that gets your heart rate and corners of your mouth up! The more we move, the better we feel.

More resources

• How to Bounce Back from a Productivity Slump When You Work Remotely by Thrive Global