During the winter months, it is common for people to find themselves in a bit of a rut or experiencing forms of seasonal depression. The breath-hitching, cold weather and lack of vibrant color in the outdoor landscape often leaves us unmotivated and weary. Though as we transition into the start of the unbearably-cold-until-March days, I have come up with a few ways to keep you inspired and driven to be productive and positive this winter season.

1. Keep your feet warm and exercise!

Since it is so cold outside, why not warm yourself up with a little bit of exercise? It’s a common fact that exercising improves your mood because of the endorphins that are released when you participate in physical activity. When you get up each day, go for a brisk walk or run to jump start your day. It doesn’t even have to be long; a little goes a long way! In addition to exercising, eating healthy foods throughout the day will keep your energy levels up, instead of having sudden periods of sugar rushes followed by crash and burn moments from junk foods.

2. Avoid too much alone time

Sometimes in the winter, people isolate themselves from others and tend spend a lot of their time alone. However, being around people with positive energy will help uplift your mood as well! Try saying “yes” more often to opportunities and plans that involve others so that you don’t find yourself in bed watching three seasons of a Netflix show in one day. Though, if you do need to do something alone, such as studying, you could do your work at a local coffee shop so you are still surrounded by people.

3. Set daily, weekly, monthly goals

Setting goals is a great way to keep yourself motivated, no matter how big or small. Sometimes you may even need to set a small, silly goal for each day just to get yourself out of bed every morning, but it works if it keeps your mind and body stimulated.

4. Embrace the winter time

Instead of hating on the winter season, embrace the seasonal opportunities that come with it! Plan a night to watch holiday movies and drink hot chocolate with friends or if your location allows, spend a day on a mountain skiing with your family. There are plenty of other enjoyable things to do during the winter time that don’t make the cold seem so bad.