10 Amazing Ways to Boost Your Energy This Winter
December can be a dim time, both weather-wise and mood-wise. This is particularly true if you live in northern regions since the days are drastically shorter and your body tends to slow down in response. Luckily, there are ways to boost your energy this winter season.
You might find yourself reaching for tea and coffee, or wanting to nap more. Lucky for us, there are tips and tricks to get through the seasonal fog. Here is a simple yet effective guide to boost energy this winter, helping you feel physically and mentally better.
10 Ways to Boost Your Energy This Winter
December can feel cold and dreary. Small changes in daily actions can mean the difference between feeling at rock bottom or feeling on top of the world. Try out these tips to boost your energy this winter season with science-based tips that can have you feeling fueled and fired up.
1. Try Light Therapy
Light therapy is a proven way to help regulate your internal circadian rhythm in the winter when light is scarce. Natural light helps give you more energy by helping you get decent rest at night. Light also impacts the production of serotonin, a happiness chemical, which means that light therapy can also help restore mood and increase mental wellbeing.
2. Sleep Well
Along that note, sleeping well can help boost energy during the day. Sleep deprivation gives you the same symptoms as intoxication and can have detrimental effects on wellness. Make sure you practice good sleep hygiene like reducing technology use after 7 pm, limiting caffeine after 5 pm, and dimming the lights in the evening.
3. Go Out As Soon as You Wake
Natural light as soon as you wake can help regulate your internal clock. This clock is linked to the production of melatonin and serotonin, chemicals that impact mood, energy, and sleep schedule. In fact, sunlight in the morning is one of the best ways you can stabilize your mood and increase energy throughout the day while sleeping better at night. Even if there is coverage, the rays that come through the clouds can greatly benefit your internal clock regulation.
4. Connect Socially
Connecting with people that matter can help boost your energy in the winter. These cold months are times when you feel alone. You can reach out to people you care about to feel supported and loved. Being around people you care about can also trigger feel-good chemicals like endorphins which can cause a boost in overall wellbeing. Seasonal affect disorder, or SAD, can be associated with social withdrawal and isolation that comes around yearly, so make sure you try to engage with loved ones; make plans and see them through.
5. Exercise
Exercising can increase mental and physical wellbeing drastically. It boosts your blood circulation, floods the mind with happiness chemicals, and improves cardiovascular health. Exercise a bit more in the winter to boost energy. Physical activity can also increase oxygen, boost metabolism, and help you feel more motivated in your day-to-day life. Exercise even improves the quality of sleep and cognitive function.
6. Watch Your Meals
What you eat can affect your mood, physical health, and energy levels greatly. Here is a complete guide that explains this, but in essence carbohydrates, especially those in pasta, potatoes, and rice, can make you feel groggy and tired. Those carb-heavy meals can be good at dinner so that you start to feel a bit tired by the time bedtime rolls around.
7. Pinpoint Deficiencies
Some nutritional deficiencies, like vitamin D for example, can sap a person’s energy, as detailed in this study here. This can be a main reason for lack of energy in the winter as lower light levels cause less vitamin D to be made in the body. Another nutritional deficiency that affects energy is B12, so taking a supplement, consuming nutritional yeast, or eating meat/tuna can be beneficial.
8. Control Stress
Stress is a source of illness in the body. It creates an unharmonious internal environment that ruins physical and mental wellness. Stress can lead to inflammation, chronic disease, mental health issues, headaches, and fatigue. Managing stress is a good way to prevent symptoms though it is not always easy. Try out well-studied stress management techniques, like daily meditation, breathing exercises, and yoga. You can even try to eat certain foods that manage stress effectively, like those on this list.
9. Practice Optimism
Looking at the brighter side of things can help up both physically and mentally too. People who perceive a situation as changeable tend to feel more in control and will take action as opposed to people who feel like there is nothing to be done. Focusing on the bright side, on what you can control, and letting go of what you cannot control can help you feel less hopeless. It gears the minds towards actions and solutions rather than wasting your energy on the problems.
10. Volunteer
Helping others activates the dopamine in your brain while increasing other mood-enhancing chemicals like serotonin and endorphins. These can all work together to increase energy levels this winter. Try to take more time to volunteer this season and feel good about giving back. No time? No problem! Try out small, random acts of kindness and get the same feel-good vibes out of the day.
The Takeaway
Tis the season for cold, rain, snow, and lack of light, but there are always ways to make the atmosphere cozier. Try out these ways to boost your energy levels this winter and watch how you start to perk up. We don’t have to rely on caffeine or naps to get us through the day. These tips can help boost your mood while improving physical health and increasing energy.
Health comes from within, so eat nutritious food, exercise daily, and care for your mental health. Daily habits become the building blocks for emotional, mental, and physical health. Try to take care of your gut health too! Learn everything you need to know about gut microbiota today for free here.
