Valentine’s Day is past and the Super Bowl has been played. There’s snow on the ground, and Punxsutawney Phil told us we have another six weeks of winter. Between the pandemic and the cold weather, it’s easy to lose our motivation to look after our mental and physical health.
Here are five reminders to stay positive.
Make the Most of Your Day:
Seek Out the Sun
Getting outside needs to be a priority during the winter months. If you can’t get outdoors, move a chair, work station, or kitchen table next to a window that gets sunlight. Aim to sit in this location for at least one to two hours a day. If sitting for that long is not possible, get some sunlight for shorter periods during the day.
Get Physical on Your Terms:
Take Ten
If your goal is to walk 30 minutes a day, but you can’t spare 30 minutes at once, don’t give up on your goal. Break up the time into three 10-minute walks during the day. If you only end up walking 20 minutes because life keeps you busy, don’t stress out. You’ll do it again tomorrow, and 20 minutes of fresh air and getting your heart beating faster is better than nothing.
Get Vision for the Spring:
Renew YOU
March 14, daylight saving time is one month away. Before we know it, Spring will be here. Create a plan for the next four weeks to renew yourself. Make a daily to do list to renew you. Include exercise, mental health breaks for doing something you love, connect with friends and family. Write it down, plan it, and look at it every morning. Finish the cold months strong and healthy.
Stay Connected:
Create and Call on Your Support System
Loneliness and isolation make the winter blues worse. Reach out to your support system regularly. Have your best friends and family on speed dial. They’re feeling just as isolated as you are. The human contact will brighten both of your days.
Keep it Real:
Remember Life Is Messy and Beautiful
Stop thinking that your life has to be perfect. We create chore charts, financial goal sheets, and plan weekly menus to make every family member happy preferences, all to bring more order to our lives.
But life is messy, and there’s joy and beauty in the mess. If you didn’t have time to cook, and ended up ordering takeout, that’s still a family dinner, with time together to catch up and laugh. Don’t make yourself feel bad by thinking that you should have cooked. It doesn’t matter. Enjoy the moment you’re in.
Top Photo of Lisa Bien, Credit: Dana Romano Photography
Lisa Bien is a motivational speaker and coach whose column appears twice a month on Woman Around Town. For more information on Lisa, go to her website.
