Winter is a lovely season but can throw us through a loop in terms of mental and physical health. Dreary days can be downright depressing, the cold tempts us to stay indoors and illness runs rampant. If you wish to truly enjoy this beautiful season, keep these tips in mind!
Be Proactive in Avoiding Illness
Since winter forces people to be around each other more due to the cold weather, it’s all too easy to get sick. The lack of sunlight also lowers our body’s vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is vital to a healthy immune system. Take extra time to wash your hands often and use hand sanitizer, especially when out in public. Stick to a healthy diet and exercise program to ensure your body is ready to fight any virus if you happen to catch something.
Switch to Indoor Exercise Activities
Don’t let the chilly weather keep you from your normal exercise programs. If it’s too cold to exercise outside or you simply don’t feel like it, get your workout in the comfort of your home. Fitness DVDs or exercise programs on YouTube are a wonderful way of trying something new when the treadmill just isn’t cutting it anymore.Try New Winter Recipes
Each season brings different produce for us to enjoy. While winter doesn’t offer as vibrant, juicy fruits as summer, it does offer quite a variety. Naturally, root vegetables are widely available but fruits like citrus are very common as well. Winter is a perfect time to experiment with recipes since many people spend more time in the home.
Get More Light (Natural & Artificial)
SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder is a common issue for a large part of the population, particularly for those in cold climates. During winter strive to get outside when the sun is out as much as possible. If you still find yourself feeling tired, replace your household bulbs with brighter ones and look into buying a couple lightboxes. Please contact your doctor if you do feel like you have SAD and it’s affecting your daily life.
Invest in a Humidifier and Air Purifier
Two wonderful household appliances to have during winter is a humidifier and an air purifier. Dry, harsh air in our houses from heaters can be combated by running a humidifier often. Humidifiers also help in the event we do get sick. Just be sure to clean them often. Since you and your family are likely to stay indoors more in winter fresh air can be an issue. Air purifiers circulate the air of clear it of dangerous toxins. Just like the humidifier, clean your air purifier often.
Get Outside and Have Fun
Don’t forget that winter is only here for a few months so enjoy yourself! There is nothing like snow to bring out your inner child. Go for a walk in snowshoes, have a sledding party with family and friends, start a snowball battle or visit an outdoor ice skating rink. It’s easy to feel down during dreary weather so combat this by getting some fresh air and have fun.