The coming of winter means many things. One of those is increased hours of darkness, bringing on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) for some. It can be hard to stay motivated to work when it’s dark most of the day and it gets even harder if you suffer from SAD. Here are a couple of ways to make it easier to work during the winter months:
Stick with a Schedule
A schedule will help you to keep normalcy in your life, even if the sun is setting earlier. Go to and leave work at the same time as often as you can. Before or after work, schedule a time to work out. This will help you to increase serotonin levels in your brain and will fill your schedule with something good.
Stay Social
During the winter months you may be tempted to stay alone indoors because of the cold and dark outside. However, staying social with family or co-workers can improve feelings of happiness and help you to stay motivated. When at work, take a break to walk around your workplace and check in with co-workers and employees. Not only will this increase motivation for you, but it will also positively affect the workers around you.
Optimize Light
SAD is caused by the lack of natural light in the wintertime. In your workplace, try to get as much natural light as possible. This can be done by positioning furniture near windows. You can also get SAD lights to go in your workplace. These can help to combat the loss of light in the winter and keep people motivated. Additionally, even taking a 10-minute walk outside for a break can help people with SAD.
These tips can help you and your fellow workers stay motivated this winter season.