February has flown by and we have found ourselves in arguably one of the worst times of the year: the dead of winter. It is at this time in the calendar year, the sun begins teasing warm days and the yearly question of, “Will it snow again?” rings through the streets. In an attempt to battle Winter Funk, I tried out five different tips over five different days to improve my mood.
Monday
I started my week off by attempting to “Create Sunshine.” As a result, I put on my Hawaiian shirt in the back of my closet and listened to songs I associated with summer as I studied. I will not lie… my spirits were lifted, but I did find myself reminiscing on the “good times” more than I was studying French.
Tuesday
In summer, I typically spend a significantly less amount of time on digital devices and social media. As a student in a digital world, I know that escaping digital devices may seem virtually impossible. However, for my entire Tuesday, I did not go on any social media platforms. This in turn, resulted in a significant increase of time spent shuffling through my email. Nonetheless, by the end of the day, I did feel a bit happier and believe that my detox from social media was a contributing factor.
Wednesday
I took advice from Mckenzie Truman’s blog and tried out one of her recommendations. I wanted to check something off my bucket list, as she recommended. With a 9-5 schedule, I knew it had to be something small. Nonetheless, I tried a Chai Tea Latte for the first time and fell in love! I definitely loved trying out this tip.
Thursday
I followed the suggestion, “Look Good, Feel Good”. I woke up twenty minutes earlier to dedicate a few more minutes to getting ready for the day. I curled my hair, applied a little bit more makeup than I typically wear, and opted for something a little fancier than my usual “athleisure.” Overall, I felt very confident and really enjoyed dressing up for the day. I really liked this suggestion and plan on following it more… even if it is for just one day a week.
Friday
At last, my final day of following tips had arrived. For my last day, I embraced the suggestion to spend more time in the fresh air. I took advantage of the slightly warmer weather and walked the long way home while listening to my favorite music and taking in my surroundings. Before getting ready to relax over the weekend, a nice walk home honestly made my day.
Overall, I felt that the general tips I followed truly made my week better. In fact, I plan on adopting many of these tips to incorporate into my daily schedule until Spring finally rolls around!