10 February 2017

Winter Blues

Written by Sarah-Maree

Winter is a difficult time for me. Every day is often a struggle to stay energized and keep working. Sunny days sometimes help “wake” me up. Those are good days, productive days! I miss them almost as much as I miss warm sunny weather and clear blue skies. These flat gray puffballs for a sky are a poor substitute. So what keeps me working, writing, crafting, and keeping those gray skies from sapping my energy? Here are a few things that keep me going during these abysmal winter months.


Having a Routine

Simply having a routine saves me on some days, I think. Though admittedly, those days are usually my worst when it comes to being creative. Work may get done, but the joy certainly feels lacking.

Giving Rewards for Good Behavior

Rewards work best, when done right. If I challenge myself to finish a project by noon and I do it, I reward myself. Usually my go-to reward is playing a video game for a few minutes. It helps to relieve the boredom and the stress.

Eating Snacks

Two to three almonds OR one to two strawberries often help curb my bad snacking habits while also giving me a boost of energy. Sometimes I substitute other items, but the main goal is to keep the energy up without overeating.

Stay Hydrated

Water is amazing! For me it curbs hunger pangs and makes sure I don’t eat too many snacks. Since I sit most of my day, it also…eventually…forces me to stand and move around. Movement keeps me awake, which can be a struggle on a dark and gloomy winter day.

Know Your Distractions & Remove Them

Winter or not, I’m easily distracted. However, winter months make it worse because I feel so blah most of the time that absolutely ANYTHING can distract me. Because of that, I keep my work area as clear as possible, and I keep my work in front of me too. If I fail to do that, disaster strikes, usually in the form of Facebook. When there are entire chunks of time that I can’t account for, I have to reset my attitude and clear up the workspace.

If I do all of the above, I tend to have a good day. I stay productive, I stay motivated, and I feel good about my work. When I break a rule, that winter-blah starts settling in. Those are BAD days. I mean stare at the computer screen, pass out at the desk, forget accomplishing anything type of days. Bad days for me lead to more bad days because I when I fall behind, I FALL BEHIND. That means staying up late working on something I could have accomplished sooner. And that’s where the last tip comes in: Don’t let a bad day turn into a cycle of bad days. The best way to break that is to figure out what works for you and then stick to it. With winter-blah, sometimes you just have to take it one day at a time.

About the Author

I may not be the nerdiest nerd you’ve ever met, but I still like to think of myself as a lover of science, video games, and of course, books.

CAFFEINE IS MY MUSE

Read plenty, read often

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