8 TIPS ON HOW TO STAY HAPPY & HYDRATED THIS WINTER!

The magic of Christmas is long gone, we’re still paying off our credit card debt from the holidays, getting little to no sunlight, dealing with snow and freezing rain on our commutes, cold and flu symptoms all around, and waking up in dry & cold air every morning!

You can pout and complain all we want, but it’s not going to make winter go away any faster. Try these super helpful tips to ensure you stay happy & hydrated for the remainder of winter!

Drink. Your. Water.

By now this should go without saying, but yet so many of us slack on our water intake at anytime of the year. The winter months completely dry us out, so increasing your water intake will keep your joints lubricated, your skin glowing, get rid of body waste, and keep your body temperature regulated! Many of us enjoy warm drinks in this cold weather, try swapping your Coffee (which dehydrates us) for a Tea… the only downfall to this is you will probably be running to the bathroom a lot more often.

https://www.waterlogic.com/en-gb/resources/blog/5-major-reasons-drink-water-winter/

Body Lotion & Hand Cream are your Best Friend!

While it is important to keep our insides hydrated, the cold dry air that comes with winter is what causes so much dryness to our bodies on the outside. When coming home at the end of a snowy and below zero day, nothing feels better than jumping into a hot hot shower or bathtub. Our skin suffers greatly from the hot water (As nice as it may feel at the time) and instead of telling you to have a cold shower in the middle of winter (because I’m not cruel) just make sure to use lots of body lotion after your shower to keep your skin happy. We also wash our hands a lot more frequently in the winter so having hand cream handy around work and home is key.

Check out this list of moisturizing body lotions below.

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/beauty-products/g26306114/best-body-lotions/

Make it Humid

This one is a huge game changer. Sleeping with a humidifier in the bedroom is a huge help with dry skin, that dry cough you wake up with in the morning, and the dreaded static electricity! Adding humidity to the cold dry winter air can help us out tremendously in avoiding cold & flu symptoms, prevent snoring and overall aid in a better sleep.

https://learn.allergyandair.com/winter-humidifier-benefits/

Get your Vitamin D

You can actually buy Vitamin D pills from most grocery, health food, or supplement stores. This is super beneficial for those of us that deal with seasonal affective disorder, but also just a great nutrition supplement to add to your daily routine during the winter months because of our lack of sunshine. You can buy capsules, liquid drops, or even gummy candies! They are inexpensive and definitely an addition you want to make this winter.

https://www.walmart.ca/en/health/vitamins-supplements/vitamins/vitamin-d/N-8128

Move Your Body

The winter months tend to make all of us a bit sluggish, low energy, and a want for curling up with a hot drink and blanket on the couch. While it’s important to keep moving all year round, we have to push ourselves extra hard in the winter. If skiing and snowboarding aren’t your thing and you find it hard to leave the house after a long work day, try an at home work out doing body weight exercises, some bands and dumbbells! Push yourself to get up a little earlier than usual and crush your work out in the morning so you can relax at the end of the day. Grab a buddy that is willing to commit to yoga or fitness classes with you to help keep yourself accountable. Whatever is going to fit best in your day to day routine, make it work and reap the benefits that exercise brings us with your physical and mental health.

Get Enough Sleep

As important as it is to exercise and keep moving, rest is also very important and necessary in making sure we have the energy, and mental clarity needed in our day to day lives. While every person is different on how much sleep they need a night, typically for humans to function at their best you should try for 7-9 hours a night. Try to cut off screen time(cell phones, computer, TV) at least 30 minutes to an hour before bed, and avoid eating directly before bed to ensure an optimal sleep.

Fuel your Body with Good Food

We tend to eat more sweets, baked goods, and overall just more heavy comfort foods in the winter. This can definitely contribute to the sluggish, low energy feeling that makes us want to sit around and do nothing in the winter. Eating the right foods and improving your diet can have a huge impact on your energy levels and mood. Increase your fruits and veggie intake but remember to still treat yourself every once in a while!

Stay Social

Maybe we are in the middle of a crazy snowstorm and its best not to leave the house, but an easy way to keep our mood and spirits high in the winter is to keep busy with our friends. Surround yourself with people that are important to you and bring your energy levels up. Make plans for a get together or weekend away to give yourself something to look forward too. Keeping busy will make the winter months fly by!