Sarah Warsi

Well, it’s that time of the year again! The days are shorter and darkness has settled by 5pm.

We deal with this every year, but I strongly believe that as we get older and face new challenges in life, it does become harder to keep your spirits up during these darker months. It can be even harder when you have familial committments and must make an extra effort to be relied upon.

So how can you keep yourself from slipping into that psychological funk?

One surefire way is to simply stay active. Keep those endorphins flowing as much as you can so your mind simply has no time to dwell on the blah-ness of the season.

I personally take a weekly group fitness class which does wonders to keep my spirits up because not only are you getting a good workout, but you’re feeding off of everyone else’s positive energy.

When the pre-winter funk settles in, it’s natural to be tempted to just hibernate indoors and consume yourself in sedentary activities which only exacerbates an unhealthy lifestyle. The hard part is curbing that temptation and channeling it into something positive.

So for that reason, it’s quite humbling to see the gym so packed during this time of the year because it’s reflective of the widespread motivation and drive that everyone has in not letting the doom and gloom of this time of the year get them down.

If going to the gym isn’t feasible for your lifestyle, turn to YouTube for a 5-minute exercise video while the kids are asleep. Even better, squeeze in a walk or a quick jog up the street. It’s cold outside? So what? You’ll be dressed for the weather and won’t even feel the chill once you’re moving.

Make the time, instead of making excuses.

Please check out a similar post I wrote last year about dealing with the symptoms of S.A.D.

How do you keep your happiness flowing during this time? Please share your thoughts!