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As the seasons change, daylight saving time ends and we head into the fall and winter months, about 5% of Americans experience seasonal affective disorder, according to the Cleveland Clinic, and about 10%-20% get a milder form of the winter blues.
While the percentages sound small, this still means millions of working Americans are also overcome by the side effects, including trouble concentrating, sadness and depression, anxiety, extreme fatigue and lack of energy, sleeping problems and other symptoms that affect our ability to work efficiently and productively. If you’re feeling blue while the weather is gray, here are six things to help you.
1. Remember what drives you and start there
There’s always a reason that we invest time in the things that matter most to us. However, these reasons are easily forgotten in our darkest hours. When we forget the reasons we love our personal hobbies, professional pursuits or families, we don’t feel as motivated to lean in and stay connected to them. That often causes to stop doing them, which causes more depression.
Avoid this vicious cycle by choosing to remember why you started running or playing guitar in the first place. Choose to remember how good it feels to make a difference at work or how proud you felt about the last big project you finished. How we speak to ourselves matters and what we think about grows. So, make it a point to think positively about all the great things that consume space in your life.
As you do this, you’ll feel more inspired to continue them, and the act of doing those things (that typically make you feel good) will give you more energy, creating a domino effect of inspiration to do them again.
2. Keep a gratitude list
Positive psychology research has shown that gratitude is a key driver of happiness. When I’m at my very best, I start each day by adding 2-3 specific items to my gratitude list (a document I keep on my personal computer) or in my daily planner. I identify small wins or specific moments that occurred in the last 24 hours that brought me joy. This shifts me into an abundance mindset where I’m focused on what’s working and what’s going well versus a scarcity mindset where I’m focused on what’s not working or what’s going poorly. Once I’ve done this, it’s harder for me to revert to a place of pessimism later in the day, even if something negative or unexpected happens.
Related: Why Harnessing the Power of Gratitude is Vital to Your Success
3. Start each day by completing a small task
My best days are the ones that begin with accomplishing a small task or two. There’s a reason that Admiral William McRaven’s book, Make Your Bed, has over 187,000 ratings shared between Amazon and Goodreads. McRaven argues that you can jumpstart your day by simply making your bed each morning because you’ll already have proven to yourself that you can complete projects and be productive. Then, that mindset transfers to your next set of tasks.
I’ve found this to be true. In the mornings, I immediately make the bed and run the dishes right after breakfast (instead of waiting until later), I am always more productive and effective. It feels good to get things done, and feeling good provides us with the motivation to get more things done. Starting each day with the completion of a small task catapults us into feeling good and that catapults us into doing more. This serves as another domino effect.
4. Talk about it
Keeping our problems to ourselves rarely accomplishes anything. It can be awkward or embarrassing to share your feelings with others when you’re sad, anxious or bored. But, vulnerably and courageously sharing where you’re at with someone you trust also feels good. Many people process, grieve and heal through the act of talking. Talking can also normalize what we’re experiencing. Often, when I share struggles with my mentor, partner or friend, I learn I’m not alone. Usually, others will share similar experiences or emotions they’ve had and how they overcame them. I typically walk away feeling much better.
5. Focus on progress, not perfection
I was raised to be both a perfectionist and happy all the time. When I expressed sadness or had the nerve to cry about something, I was often told to stop and get “back on track.” Over the last decade, I’ve realized how detrimental this thinking was. We’re not machines, we’re human. We all make mistakes and have bad days. We all encounter situations that leave us feeling incompetent. Life isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress. Not only are you allowed to be imperfect, you’re supposed to be imperfect.
In Don Miguel Ruiz’s 1997 book, The 4 Agreements, “always do your best” is the fourth agreement. The book has sold over 15 million copies! Ruiz explains that our best won’t look the same every day. When we’re tired, stressed or sick, we won’t have as much to give as when we’re rested and healthy. Instead of asking yourself to be without fault or flaw each day, simply ask yourself if you gave your best (whatever that was). Holding yourself to the standard of simply trying your best is far more rewarding and inspiring than expecting every day to be perfect.
Related: Seek Progress, Not Perfection: Why Your Business Should Embrace the “Toothpick Rule”
6. Don’t focus on things you can’t control
Whenever we feel like we’re failing, we’re often quick to blame external factors that are out of our control like our lousy boss, another department or market conditions. Stop that. While it might feel good in the moment, it’s rarely effective and takes the focus off the only thing that can create change: You. Focusing on external factors doesn’t help you build a plan for how you’re going to get back on track; it only leaves you feeling powerless and victimized. You can’t control the economy, the weather, the past or other people — so don’t waste time focusing on those things. Every minute you spend citing factors outside of yourself is a minute that you’re not spending finding a solution.
Before I’d discovered these six practices, I experienced far more sadness and anxiety in life. It was also harder to recover from those feelings and sometimes, I hardly recovered at all. These practices are surefire ways to help yourself restart and reset, regardless of how depressed or sad you wake up feeling.