As someone whose psychological and physical state are tightly interconnected, I am very much prone to the mid-winter bug. You know, the one that has you feeling a little extra drowsy, a little less motivated, and just feeling overall…bleh. It’s an unfortunate funk to unknowingly immerse yourself into, especially during the winter months. In realizing this, I have recently been making a few subtle changes to my everyday routine to get me back to feeling my healthiest, most energetic, “midsummer” self.

1. Exert, exert, exert.

I understand that the idea of putting extra strain on your body may sound like a slightly contradictory thing to do in helping to relieve stress, but this may be the most effective piece of information I can give you. Making sure you are working your body physically on a daily basis is the key to clearing your mind, and making you feel like you’ve got it all together inside and out, (even if you really don’t). If you’re reading this and thinking, “Well, I don’t have a gym membership, or an hour a day to waste on working out”, then you may be misinterpreting my point of the word “exert”. Exerting excess energy by no means entails a daily 45 minute run on the treadmill, or climbing Mt. Everist. “Exerting” can mean as little as making time for a relaxed stroll with a friend, doing 15-20 minutes of at-home yoga, or even just giving yourself enough time in the morning to walk to work instead of calling a taxi. (Saves money, too!) Bottom line is, making sure you are moving your body on a day to day basis will make you feel more like a working machine, and less like a broken record.

2. Journaling

I often find that during months of increased stress and decreased motivation, I find it especially hard to think of all the individual situations going on in my life as separate. After a while, all the tasks you need to do, all the people you promised to see, and all of the emotions you feel about your relationships, they all begin to meld into one deep pool of never-ending issues, creating one huge psychological mess of, “Why am I not accomplishing anything?!” Though some may use this psychological distress as a means to become more determined and get out of that rut, many of us just don’t have that mindset. This is why I recommend keeping a journal, or daily planner. In forcing yourself to write a set list of daily goals down, you are forcing yourself to compartmentalize all the impending stresses on your life, making them separate, and therefore far more easy to conquer one by one. This, like exercise, is something that if you put effort in beginning to incorporate into your daily routine, it will slowly start becoming something you do without having to put in an extra thought.

The best thing about keeping a planner/journal, is that it allows you to create a list of goals that you need to accomplish that day. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Today. These goals could range anywhere from finishing a project you must hand in tomorrow, to making sure you save 5 minutes to call your mom later that day. Anything that is important to you, put it down. I find that when I jot down (and therefore visualize), all of the things I need to get done, I end up accomplishing far more than if I just rely on my brain to keep me organized. 

Other than specific “to-dos”, you can also choose to incorporate an area of your journal for writing down some of the best things that happened during your day, or maybe even just something minor that made you smile. Obviously these additions require more effort, but I find that when I record something positive that occured, it makes me think not only about what I accomplished that day, but how others impacted it as well. Trust me, it works.

3. Nourish your body, and your mind will follow suit

When I began thinking about the act of eating as providing fuel for my body, and not as something I forced myself to do, or something I used as a positive reinforcement, the amount of stress I experienced in life began to diminish. When you begin thinking about the food you have around you as a gift, and not a given, you begin to see food and the nutritional value it has in a whole new light. During our busiest months, eating, and what we are eating, tends to be moved down to the bottom of our priorities list. When you aren’t listening to your body and what it is craving, you’ll inevitably begin feeling more fatigued, stressed, and may even find your sense of self worth begin to decrease. Once we all begin to realize the nutritional value of food, and just how much the food we ingest overlaps with our psychological wellbeing, going about your day to day activities will feel like something you can and want to conquer. In saying this, I am by no means expecting people to have the time and resources to fully  educate themselves on the in’s and out’s of nutrition, though what I am saying is to just be mindful about your food routine, and how it may be effecting your ability to sustain physical and psychological energy throughout the day. As the saying goes, you are what you eat. If you make an effort to put food in your body that you know your exterior self would thank you for, your mind will do the same. 

4. If someone or something is adding more negative energy to your life than positive– Cut it out. Ratio matters!

Now I know this tip is far easier said than done, but hear my out. Especially at my adolescent age, I find that I tend to give certain friendships and opportunities far more of my energy then I need to be. Learning that you aren’t always going to be great at everything, and that not everyone will always find a liking to you, will allow you to scratch certain people and priorities from your life who were ultimately bringing you more stress than anything else. For example, if there is someone in your life who frequently makes you question the type of person you are, or what your friendship means to them, then it may be time to slowly but surely erase the un-sureity that person brings from your life. Once you start filtering out the people and things that you aren’t completely confident about, you’ll find that life will begin to feel far more meaningful since the people you’re surrounding yourself with are solely ones that add positivity to your days, (in whatever form that may be). The same notion applies to hobbies. If you are involved in an activity or extracurricular that takes up important time you know you’d prefer/benefit spending on something else, then quit it. Once you begin spending your free time doing things that you know will help you later on, or that you find passion in, your daily schedule will be something you can look forward to, rather than something you dread.

5. Find out what relaxes you individually, and make that a daily priority

With all the above being said, there are still certain things that comfort one individual that may not do anything for another. Find that comfort in your day to day life, and stick to it. Whether it be watercolor painting, karate, or even just giving yourself 45 minutes before bed every night to watch your favorite show, make sure you pay attention to what that certain thing is that helps you wind down after a long day, and don’t forget to do it as much as you can.

Understanding how crucial it is to pay attention to what your body and mind are telling you will give you much better insight on how to better yourself in every facet of your life. Practicing mindfulness through tips like these and others is key to a, (as generic as it may sound), healthy, and happy life.