Partner Article

Beating the Winter Blues

It’s around this time of year that heading to work can really feel like a chore.

Commutes begin in darkness, days are grey and the financial pressures of Christmas are looming. Not to mention that the past months haven’t exactly been the cheeriest on the news front.

Whether or not you suffer from seasonal affective disorder, the winter months can make us feel gloomy and tired. Here’s some tips to prevent a productivity slump:

Make work lighter

The urge to hibernate at your desk can be overwhelming in the winter months (particularly in the unique climate of our home city). Donning a few thermals and heading outside on your lunch break will ensure that you manage to see at least see some daylight, while even some light physical exercise will get the blood pumping and stop you feeling sluggish.

You can take it or leave it (temptation)

Alcohol, comfort food and fancy pumpkin lattes present a triple threat to your energy levels at this time of year – particularly as they are near impossible to avoid with all the festive office parties and meetings you need to attend. Balancing your intake of caffeine, alcohol and carbohydrates can help you to feel less stressed during this busy period (and make your blow out on Christmas day feel that bit more enjoyable).

Plan instead

With thoughts turning towards the holidays, it’s easy to put off setting targets and professional goals till the New Year. Avoid this. Even a little shake-up of your daily routine will help to prevent your brain from freezing over with boredom!

As Christmas draws nearer you may find you have more time on your hands – use this to finish a project which you’ve been neglecting. If you’re thinking about a new job, don’t delay – you may not see many opportunities until January, but seizing this time to refine your CV and assess your strengths will give you a massive advantage. Just think of the smug feeling you’ll have knowing that you’ve got a headstart on all the jobseekers waking up on the first of January with a nasty hangover!

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Short .