After a relaxing two-week vacation, many of us expected to return to the sunny, bearable Hamilton that we remember from early autumn . . . or at least we expected temperatures to be above freezing. However, when we pulled up to campus, things looked and felt pretty similar to how we left them. Athletes who had spent portions of their spring break down South for Spring Training and those lucky enough to jet off to the beach for their vaca’s were especially shocked by the wind and ice that they thought had left with the month of February.
Now that March has gone in like a lion and out like a . . . well, still a lion, many are feeling the winter blues more than ever. Even those of us who were able to maintain a positive attitude through the JanuFeb sprint are probably feeling a bit disheartened by the fact that it is still snowing. But never fear! Here are a few things you can do to help yourself beat the blues, and feel great for when the sun starts to shine again:
10. Stay Ahead of Your Work
?One of the biggest shockers of returning after Spring Break is how quickly your work can get out of control. Professors are really starting to feel the pressure of the end of the semester drawing near and are piling on tons of work, and you are probably feeling overwhelmed. The best thing that you can do is try and stay in control of your deadlines. Try not to wait until the week-of to start a paper if you know it’s going to be challenging, schedule writings center appointments as early as possible (check your syllabus’ for papers in advance!), and use the resources Hamilton offers for homework help like the Q-Lit Center. If you are feeling extraordinarily overwhelmed, consider asking your teacher for an extension. Most professors are understanding about the amount of work you have, and will be willing to accommodate you if you’re being genuine.
9. Give Yourself Some Alone Time?
Studies have shown that women need more time to self nurture than their male counterparts in order to feel sane. Unfortunately, most of us aren’t lucky enough to live in a single, which makes it difficult to find time truly to ourselves. Try eating one meal a week in Opus or McEwen with a copy of the New York Times (Thanks, CAB!) or allow yourself an extra-long shower. Although it might take time to get used to being alone again, the positive impact it will have on your mental well-being is definitely worth it.
8. Make a Warm Weather Playlist
?Cold is just a mindset. Gather together all of the songs that remind you of your favorite summer days (or nights) and save it for days when you feel especially miserable. The warm thoughts can do wonders.
7. Find Time to Unwind on the Weekends?
One of the best parts of Hamilton is the balance between hard work and fun. However, with finals around the corner, some of us might give up “fun time” on the weekends to get a leg up on their work. Of course, if you have a paper due on Friday, it makes sense not to rage until 2 am on Thursday night, but sacrificing all of that fun time is a fast track to a burnout. Weekend fun doesn’t have to mean drinking, but make sure you are giving yourself time to let loose and unwind from a long week before you start all over again on Monday.
6. Make Summer Plans
?If you have something good to look forward to, it can help the time leading up to it pass a lot more painlessly. Whether it be a road trip with your best friends or a DIY project that you’ve been meaning to start for ages, try to find a fun reward that can help you push through the next six weeks. If you keep your eyes on the prize, you’ll be there in no time.
5.Sleep with Your Window Open?
One of the worst parts of the cold is the lack of fresh air. In an effort to keep ourselves warm, most of us shut all the windows in our rooms to keep the cold out. Shutting yourself in a stuffy room all night, however, does nothing good for your health. It’s better to pile on blankets and crack your window, because germs and stale air circulate out.
4. Take Vitamin D Supplements
?One of the best benefits of the sun is Vitamin D. This essential nutrient can do wonders for your mood and for your overall health. Because you’re bundled up in the winter and spend a lot of time inside, it’s very easy to be deficient in Vitamin D, so taking supplements can help. Although, like all supplements, it’s better to get the vitamins naturally, you’d be surprised how much of a difference it can make.
3. Get as Much Sunshine as Possible
?The mood-boosting benefits of sunshine go beyond vitamins. Studies have shown that the broad-spectrum light that comes from the sun actually fosters positive feelings. The best thing you can do to reap the benefits of the sun is to spend time in brightly lit places. At Commons or McEwen, find a table by the window, and open your shades when you’re in your room. This small adjustment could have huge mood-changing effects!
2. Exercise?, Exercise, Exercise
This one cannot be stressed enough. Exercise is the saving grace for anyone feeling over-stressed and bogged down at this time of the year. Although it may seem a lot more appealing to stay curled up under your covers instead of trekking all the way to the fitness center, the benefits of half an hour of exercise are far greater than a half an hour nap. Getting a little cardio in can help get your blood flowing, making you feel more energized and alert (and the mood-boosting endorphins don’t hurt either. As Elle Woods put it, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t!”
1. Get Out of Your Room!
?This one is simple. If you become a shut in, the cold season is going to feel ten times as long. Get involved on campus, and brave the short walk across campus. If you don’t let the weather control your life, summer will be here before you know it!?