These tips were taken from a Forbes.com post written by Lisa Quast.
“I’m beginning to wonder if this grey winter weather is ever going to end,” remarked the woman in front of me as we waited in line at the coffee shop. “I just feel so blah. I don’t think I could make it through the work day without coffee,” she added.
Sound familiar? Unfortunately, the feelings that come from a prolonged lack of sun during the winter can get especially terrible, causing many people to lose steam at work. Need a pick-me-up to take you from ho-hum to energized at the office? Try these six simple tips:
Get moving. Let’s face it – most Americans don’t get enough exercise, so skip the elevator and use the stairs, park further away from the office and ask a co-worker to go for a walk during lunch (bundle up first). Get moving to increase energy and creativity.
Seek the sun. Winters mean short days and not a lot of sunlight, which can lead to a lack of vitamin D. It turns out 41.6% of U.S. adults are deficient in vitamin D, which is important in everything from regulating the immune system to keeping the brain functioning well. Talk to your doctor about checking your levels to see if you should add a supplement to your daily routine.
Laugh more. “Although we can’t yet say that a certain number of laughs every day will keep the doctor away, studies show that people who say they laugh a lot also tend to be in good health and generally feel well,” states Madeline Vann, MPH. Go ahead! Laugh with co-workers and share those funny stories before or after meetings (just keep them “G” rated).
Get more zzzs. Feel like napping at 2 p.m. each day? Studies reveal that nearly 20% of Americans get less than six hours of sleep per night. To improve your energy, health and immune system, sleep expert Dr. Ranit Mishori recommends seven to nine hours of sleep every night for adults.
Set a challenging goal. University professors Edwin Locke and Gary Latham studied 35 years of goal-setting and task-motivation research and found “that the highest or most difficult goals produced the highest levels of effort and performance.” To get motivated… challenge yourself.
Express gratitude. Being grateful increases happiness and motivation. Take some time each day to write down things that make you thankful. After following this process for a few weeks, people generally “feel better about themselves, have more energy and feel more alert,” says Robert Emmons, a leading gratitude researcher at the University of California at Davis.