Shorter days mean longer nights, and for some of us the workday steals our only chance to see the sun. Darkness creeps in, and then cold weather swirls with it, freezing your motivation and turning you into a recluse.
You’re not quite depressed, but you’re not exactly your old self. You’ve got a case of the winter blues, gloomy like the weather. Some people call this Seasonal Affective Disorder, appropriately shortened to S.A.D.
You may think there’s no way to get through S.A.D. other than wait it out and pray that the groundhog doesn’t see his shadow in February. But there’s no reason you can’t be happy and your usual sunny self just because the weather isn’t cooperating.
You just have to take your happiness into your own hands.
Step 1: Decide to be happy no matter what.
Tell yourself you won’t let the weather, your boss, traffic, finances, or obligations affect your state of mind anymore. Sign the happiness decision provided by the Happiness Club and make your decision official with a contract.
Step 2: Add happiness activities to your daily routine.
Keeping a sunny state of mind during the winter months means exercising your happiness muscles. Each day, either in the morning while you have your coffee or at night before you go to sleep, write what you appreciate in a gratitude journal, never saying the same thing twice. By focusing on the good things in life, the darkness won’t seem as immense.
Step 3: Practice random acts of kindness.
Tell someone they have a nice smile. Open the door for someone. Smile at a stranger on the street. Wave to the mailman or your neighbor. Pick up some trash on the ground. Do 5 things, even small things, every day that make someone else’s life better.
