How To: Avoid hibernation

Knock, knock! Who's there? It's your seasonal depression...

Not this year! Sure, the current state of the world is far from great but that doesn’t mean you have to bury your head in the sand (or the absent snow). Instead of hibernating you could make sure to create the best setting for a productive winter. It’s pretty much just like skipping the phase of feeling down during these cold days.

Sounds good? Let’s do it!

 

 

No sh*t Sherlock

The morning routines that we all know from TikTok or YouTube are cool and all but not really relatable. They won’t cure your winter depression, will they? Obviously, a healthy diet and getting up early are great ways for feeling generally more productive, but who are we to tell you. Here’s everything you need to know in 30 seconds:

 

Perks of getting up early:

You should embrace the few hours of daylight during winter. Sunlight is a natural motivational booster and you’ll probably get more things done.

 

Important nutrients during winter:

• Omega-3-fatty acids (nuts, salmon, etc.)
• Vitamin B12 (fish, eggs, dairy products, supplements, etc.)
• Magnesium (nuts, whole grains, vegetables, etc.)
• Vitamin D (salmon, herring, dairy, eggs, supplements, etc.)
• Selenium (seeds, fish, whole grains)

 

All of these points might be a great base, but if you really want to spike your productivity this winter, it takes a little more than that!

 

 

Mindset Grindset

The headline sounds like we took it straight out of an online business coaching seminar, but the sentiment is actually pretty important. In the end, you’re solely responsible for not falling into ‘couch-mood’. How? Start with the right mindset. You most likely associate the word ‘winter’ with things like short days, cold weather or a sad mood. That doesn’t really help. Try to think about the benefits of winter. If the days are cold and short, you probably won’t spend much time outside. This means more time for being productive either at home or uni instead of going to the pool or something. This doesn’t mean that hanging out at the pool is bad – not at all! You’re just not able to do it in winter so why don’t you use that time for other things and get things done!

 

And how do you get things done? With precise goals. Either for only a day or for the entire winter. Set up e.g., a To-Do List with all the things you want to get done this winter and place it somewhere highly visible. Now you can decide daily or weekly what you need to work on or get done.

If you need full focus, a desk lamp with cold light can be very helpful. Obviously, this won't give you a cozy-winter-vibe but your concentration level will go through the roof.

 

 

Last but not least

Found your strategy? Great! That’s already half the battle. Don’t forget that you’re still a student though. Balance is key. Doing sports, going for a walk or hanging out with friends can also be deciding factors about whether you fall back into the ‘couch-mood’ or not. So try to keep the balance between time off and hustling. Also an occasional party never hurt anyone ;).