Winter can shift our moods and make us feel down, lazy and demotivated.
You don’t have to feel this way, as winter is the time to prep for Spring and remember it’s only a tiny 12 weeks away.
If you feel a bit down and you can sense that your mood has shifted to hibernation mode due to the longer nights and colder mornings, then it’s time to kick those winter blues and get ready for fabulous Spring.
Following are some excellent nutrition, lifestyle and exercise tips to get you looking fabulous, lean, fighting fit and ready to meet someone special in Spring when you are at your best.
1) Tone down the alcohol
The Australian Government has listed alcohol consumption as one of the leading causes of weight gain, depression, fertility issues, heart issues, and many more toxic problems. The first thing you have to do is look at stopping your intake levels. Curbing those big boozy weekends or Friday after work drinks may be hard for some people, but you want to start looking and feeling better. It’s OK to have a couple of glasses to be sociable, but as usual ( you probably already know this ), but that’s where it ends. Hangovers are a killer and do nothing to help with your mood, motivation levels and, of course, your weight. If you are having issues stopping alcohol, you might want to reach out and talk to a professional organisation that can help you quit.
I can’t emphasise enough how damaging alcohol is and its long-term effects on your body, career, lifestyle, and even relationships. Whatever you do, just stop it. Within 12 weeks, you will notice a massive turnaround in your life. You’ll start feeling more positive, energetic and have new confidence in yourself.
2) Start Yoga
Yoga has so many benefits that I don’t even know where to start. It tomes your body, detoxes, and improves balance, flexibility and will get you looking fabulous. I’ve just started Bikram Yoga and love it. There are many more traditional style yoga disciplines you can choose from for those who don’t want to sweat so much. Starting Yoga at the beginning of winter and doing, say, 3 to 4 classes per week will give you more zest, bounce and loads more motivation to take on the world.
3) Avoid Fatty Foods
Fatty, fried, processed foods ( as we all know ) have no benefits whatsoever. If you have a busy lifestyle and enjoy those takeaway meals at the local Thai, think again. Thai dishes have lots of sugar, as do many takeaway restaurants, including your favourite Japanese sushi rolls. For lunch, avoid those fatty, fried Turkish sandwiches with mayo and chicken. Everywhere you go and with most takeaways, the temptation to say to yourself that this is OK and it’s a one-off is far too much. But, the trick is to learn what types of foods are healthy and stick to eating these. Know the difference between good and bad fats. Obesity caused by eating fatty, fried foods will cause diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease.
If you want to look your best for Spring and kick those Winter blues, then fatty foods must be off the diet without question. If you base your food intake on saturated rich fatty foods, you might want to speak to a dietician who will plan a meal schedule for you.
4) Go shopping
Give yourself a new look. Head straight to your wardrobe and put clothes that you have not worn in a bag and give it to charity in the last two years. Then, it’s off to your local Westfield to do some clothes shopping. A new look can make you feel fabulous. At the same time, why not head to a professional hairdresser or barber and get that unique, new hairstyle you’ve always wanted. Yes, this will cost a bit of money, but all of this shopping will come together nicely as you trim down and start looking healthier and fresher.
5) Reduce coffee
While a cup of coffee in the morning before work is great and most of us can’t start the day without it in the morning, you need to limit the number of coffees you have per day. Again, like most of life’s pleasures you’ve abused for the last 20 or so years, it’s time to kiss them goodbye and treat them sparingly. Think about all the money you’ll save by not having those two takeaway coffees each day. Which is a great segway into the next point.
6) Reduce debt
Stressing about credit card debts is unhealthy. Stress overall is a killer for your body and mental state of mind, and having that black cloud of debt hanging around you is not helping. Try to consolidate all your debts into one place and negotiate a decent interest rate for a small business loan or a personal loan.
7) Stop smoking
Stop smoking – that’s all I can say!
There is nothing good about smoking, and all the exercise, healthy eating, Yoga, and early nights will have zero benefits unless you can give up those ciggies. If you’re addicted to smoking or think that a few ciggies at your work drinks are OK, think again. They are possibly the worst thing you can do to your body. Quit now and see how you feel in Spring. Remember this; kissing a smoker on your first date is a massive turn off!
8) Sleep
You need a minimum of 8 hours of sleep per night. A good nights, uninterrupted sleep will do wonders for your state of mind and overall feeling of well-being.
9) Single no more!
If you have been single for a long time and feel that you’re not going to meet someone, now’s the perfect time to ditch these negative thoughts. It’s easy to feel sorry for yourself and think that no one out there shares your common interests and goals. But there is. Now’s the very best time to make a positive start and talk to a dating agency that will start this process for you. Even if you are recently divorced and feel as though you are not ready to move on, it’s a good idea to speak to a professional in this area who can help you meet someone special.
10) Start a new hobby
Get off the couch and get those endorphins happening! Nothing beats a good workout before or after work. You might like to start a new hobby or learn a new sport, anything to get you up and move around. Enjoy the outdoors, go for a swim in the ocean or perhaps join a gym. The more exercise you get, the better you’ll start feeling about yourself and your outlook on the world.
11) Limit social media
Social media addiction is common but try to limit the amount of time you spend on the internet and social media. Keeping your head down scrolling through other peoples lives will do nothing to improve your self-esteem or image. Watching beautiful people may start to trigger loads of self-doubt about yourself. Spend less time on Facebook and more doing things that get you moving around.
Final Thoughts
These are a few quick things you can do to help improve your fitness and mental attitude. There are others, but you have to start looking after the inside firstly to feel gorgeous on the outside. No one will motivate or help you, so you must be proactive and take the first steps. For many people, it’s not so simple. But this is where you have to draw strength from your inner self to pull yourself out of those Winter blues and look forward to a happier Spring.
