Capitalizing on the good days: How weather can impact motivation and mental health

It’s no secret that the weather has an impact on our mood. Over the last few months, clients have shared concerns with lack of motivation, increased sadness, and overall negative mood. The climate in which we live gives way for dark, cold, and dreary months during the winter which most people refer to as the “winter blues”. I talk with my clients about Seasonal Depression and how it is highly relevant to that time of year. They report not wanting to get out of bed, struggle to complete everyday tasks and even the thought of leaving the home is dreadful. Though this season feels like it goes on forever, you may have noticed slightly warmer and sunnier days. These days may have felt much lighter or “happier” to you which means Spring is here. The trees are blooming, it’s getting darker later in the evening, and nature is coming back to life! How exciting?!

With the weather and daylight improving, it’s going to be important to take steps to help get yourself out and moving to help decrease the effects of those winter blues. Here are some suggestions I have been working on with my clients to change their mindset and help make this spring and summer the best one yet:

1.     Getting back into a healthy and consistent sleep schedule!

Sleep is incredibly important for our brain and body to recover from the day. Without appropriate amounts of sleep people experience exhaustion, increased anxious thoughts, negative mindset, and irritability. The recommended amount of sleep for an adult is about 7-9 hours where the recommendation for teens is 8-10 hours. Start by setting a goal for yourself based on the time you need to wake in order to achieve this amount of sleep. For example: if you need to wake up by 6 am, do your very best to be asleep by 10pm. It’s important to turn off screens (tv, phone, laptop) as the light from screens stimulates your brain, ensure your environment is comfortable for you and maybe incorporate a sound machine for background noise if silence is not comfortable. Consider developing a nighttime routine such as a shower, washing your face, brushing your teeth, reading, journaling etc. Anything that is going to help wind you down from your day can be incredibly helpful. If you’re struggling to fall asleep and stay asleep consistently, contact your Primary Care doctor for helpful tips.

2.     Exercise!

This activity can be incredibly daunting as we may not have enough time or the financial backings to attend a gym however, exercise can be simple and fun! The recommended amount of exercise per day is around 30 minutes. Taking a brisk walk with a friend, family member, or pet can help bring motivation for continued success. Consider more relaxing exercise such as yoga or Pilates. There is an endless number of resources for exercise videos at the tips of your fingers on YouTube. My favorite videos consist of dancing to music from my teens that brings back such nostalgia! Prioritize your physical health as your mental health depends on it! Movement for your body will help boost your mood and your self-esteem as you progress.

3.     Connect with nature!

When was the last time you sat outside and just observed the world around you? Often, we are hustling to our next task or meeting that we fail to take time to stop and appreciate what’s around us. Hiking or bike riding can be great ways to connect with nature but something as simple as walking into your back yard and existing for 10 minutes in that space can have similar effects. I challenge you to do this activity mindfully and what I mean by that is use all your senses for this activity. Take your shoes off and feel the grass beneath your feet, focus your listening on the birds or noises around you, smell the crispness of the air or flowers blooming, look around you at the vibrant colors and fluffy clouds, bring a glass of your favorite drink to truly grasp all your senses. The point of this is to reconnect and recenter your mind as well as help take away the stressors of everyday life for at least 10 minutes.

4.     Social connection!

Over the holiday season we can become overwhelmed with the amount of social interaction we have; therefore, we take a long break for the rest of winter. Not only does the cold weather and snow prevent us from leaving the house to socialize, but with our mood being more negative and lack of motivation, we often cancel plans with friends and loved ones. Take some time to reconnect with those you have not seen in a while. Plan a trip to the park, a game night, a night out, or whatever makes the most sense for you and the people you would like to involve. Keeping your social battery in mind, sporadically plan some of these activities to help regain connection and improve your mood.

5.     Consider a new hobby!

If you’re anything like me, you’ve lost sight of the hobbies you enjoy or you put down that crochet hook months ago and haven’t created the space and time to pick it back up. Okay, maybe I’m the only “young” old lady who likes to crochet. Either way, discovering new hobbies can be beneficial for those nights when you feel like it’s 9pm but in reality, it’s 6pm. Consider learning how to cook or bake a new food, channel your creativity through different art styles, put a puzzle together, try gardening, or start a journal for yourself to help express your thoughts/worries. New hobbies can be fun and relatively affordable, but we have to prioritize making time for things that are fun!

It's incredibly important to capitalize on the nice weather and shake off those winter blues. Keep in mind, it’s important not to try and change everything at one time because too much change can be daunting and result in self-perceived “failure” if you don’t keep up with everything you tried to change. Take it one day at a time, find what works best for you and your schedule, and work toward making the best of the spring and summer months! As always, if you’re struggling to create this change for yourself, talk with your therapist for help guiding and creating a way to incorporate some of these activities.

 The mental health therapists at our office offer counseling for a variety of issues including trauma using EMDR, depression, anxiety, grief, and couples counseling. We work with kids, teens, adults, and couples. We also offer online counseling services which can be great for people with busy schedules or for people who live in parts of Pennsylvania with limited counseling options. You can check out our website to see the full list of counseling services that we offer. Or, Schedule An Appointment here.