Feeling the seasonal blues? Here are some ways to feel a little better!

With dark nights, gloomy mornings, and chilly, crisp days, the coldest season of the year can bring about winter blues for many of us. Those winter blues can be categorised as feelings of low energy, sadness, lack of motivation, and reduced interest in things we typically enjoy. It’s important that we put in the steps to combat winter blues so that we can feel better and improve our day-to-day functioning, so that we are not just waiting months for spring and summer.

We have rounded up our top 5 ways to combat winter blues. 

1. Embrace Winter and get Cosy

Winter isn’t going away, not for a while at least. You could try and change your perspective on this season by learning to embrace it. Choose to enjoy cosy nights in and queue a great lineup of feel-good movies and TV shows. Pair your evenings and weekends of cosying up on the couch with a soft blanket, a popcorn machine to fuel your snacking needs, and a soda machine, and/ or a coffee machine so you can brew yummy drinks to tuck into. 

2. Get Moving

Lace up those sneakers, and get moving. Exercise is one of the most effective ways to release happy hormones in your body such as dopamine and endorphins. These hormones can combat stress hormones and help you feel better. There is also nothing better than stretching out your tight muscles and getting some crisp winter air into your lungs. It doesn’t have to be a vigorous exercise. You could just go for a morning walk. If you do want to do a high intensity workout, go for a run, or lift some weights. Consider investing in at-home workout equipment such as a treadmill or exercise bike so you can get moving no matter the weather. 

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3. Create Small Goals

Winter is a good time to reassess the goals you made at the start of the year. Can you create some new, small goals that are achievable and measurable? Challenge yourself to learn a new language, or establish a new healthy habit such as a daily walk. Motivate yourself by establishing rewards for when you achieve a certain goal, or certain step in that goal, for example, treat yourself to a takeaway coffee after you have walked every day for an entire week. Small goals, with small, fun rewards, can help keep your winter interesting by encouraging your personal growth and development so you can feel less stagnant this season. 

4. Let the Light In

This is a simple one, but make sure you always open the curtains and blinds each morning so that you can get in as much light first thing as possible. Light, especially from the sun, can help you feel more awake and energised. Be sure to add some cute ambient lighting to your home for the evenings, such as warm LED candles, lamps, or fairy lights. Nothing like cosy lighting for a warm winter evening atmosphere.

5. Save Money by Comparing Bills

Winter can come with some unwelcome bill-shock, what with more power consumption – our power bills are bound to increase. This can contribute to those dreaded winter blues! You can help ease some financial worries by jumping on NZ Compare’s user-friendly platforms and comparing your bills. You can compare broadband, power, mobile, and loans and insurances within minutes and unlock savings that make a true difference to your budget. You don’t have to stick to the same plan and provider. Especially in this cost of living crisis, it is imperative that you avoid loyalty tax, and find a deal that offers better value for money so you can smile a little bit more this winter. 

Further Reading: 

6 Items to Shop for to Help with the Winter Blues

Winter Power Usage: How to Reduce your Carbon Footprint and Make Savings