by: Blog Club

(Dawn Ellner, Flickr)

A few recommendations on how to keep away from seasonal depressions and keep your motivation and energy in the season that saps it all away. All of this courtesy of Blog Club!

Aniruddh Nambudiri 

Finding your workflow to make things easier 

During the winter, you can get really tired with the dropping temperatures and moods. It also really sucks that most of your important assignments also show up with the temperature change. Finding how you create and work helps you a lot. Setting up a timer or seeing what music works best for your process helps a lot and this can be done in many ways. Let assignments sit with you and be aware of them weeks before they come up. Try things out for them, whether that be music or spot changes. Even accompanying drinks and what you need by your side to help you. All of these projects get harder with lesser energy so sorting things out before and recognizing what works will definitely help you during the winter with your motivation. 

Getting comfortable with staying inside 

Look I hate staying inside a lot of the time as well. I am someone who usually likes to do assignments in the morning so they can be out of my way. This gets way harder when you just have less morning due to your energy and less sunlight. You get forced inside. My major recommendation is finding those inside spaces that give you the most life. Some people like the more lowkey lighting (those people are me) whilst others want a good view or brighter lights. Explore a bit and find those places before getting comfortable with staying in those places for a while. This definitely does not have to be a solo project. Bring your friends if you can work well with them. I personally like lower lighting so I have fairy lights in my bedroom and I work well there because I spent my summer getting used to staying there for a while and it is working great now. Find those spots and get used to staying inside and warm.  

Jai Crespo

Attend social events on campus and in your community

When you’re feeling lonely or bored because you have to stay in Madison for your winter break, you should try to get out rather than sit in your own puddle of thoughts for a while. While you can’t always get your suggested dose of vitamin D, you can still go outside for a bit.

One thing I see many people forget about is the site on the UW-Madison page called today.wisc.edu, which is a place to find events happening on campus if you have no idea where to start. Even if it is a lecture about a science topic or a free concert inside, being around people and developing your social life and skills is a good way to get yourself out of your internal monologue.

Allowing yourself to have fun and do things outside of school and work makes you more likely to perform better in those areas of life. Not only that, nobody deserves to be stuck in their house all day and doing things they’re forced to do. Make sure to care for your mental health as winter is the most common season to feel more depressed and less energetic, and getting back in that rotation may mean having to make yourself do something you don’t always have the motivation to do.

Set up virtual hangouts with friends

If you find yourself not being able to go outside or it isn’t safe for you to do so, it’s also a good idea to hangout with friends in a virtual setting. This can be calling on a social media platform or hosting a Zoom/Google Meets meeting with those interested. So many activities can be done online, like playing a telephone or drawing game, playing multiplayer games, watching movies/shows, listening to music, and even just being on call together while you do your own things. While it doesn’t always replace the physical aspect of having someone next to you, it can still be good when you’re feeling lonely and just need someone to talk to while you do your work or reading.

Online hangouts can take many forms and you’re able to change the vibe and plans anytime you really want. It’s a perfect alternative to real life meetings when it’s cold or your campus friends are out with their family during winter break and the weekend. It’s also easy to set up suddenly and without a specific plan, which is perfect when you’re not feeling up to doing much.

Lexi Samander

Plan holiday activities

As college students, oftentimes finals season tends to overshadow holiday season. However, we have to remember, there is joy and cheer at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes it can help to encourage a little bit of that fun during the most brutal time of the year. Taking a break from studying to get together with friends and do something holiday related, whichever holiday that may be, can allow you to de-stress and may just be the refresher you needed for that last week of “locking in”. I know one of my favorite December memories from last year was having a white elephant gift exchange with all of my friends. Laughing, celebrating, and spending time with your favorite people is a necessity for making it through these cold and dreary days.

Take advantage of the snow

While our recent snowstorm may have made our trek to class a lot more treacherous, you can always turn that snow into a way to stay active. Whether it’s having a snowball fight with your friends on Bascom, sledding down Observatory (stay safe), building a snowman outside your residence hall, or skating on the lake when it freezes over, there’s always something you can do to stay active out in the snow. Instead of thinking of it as something that gets in your way, or something that’ll make you fall flat on your butt on your way to your 9:00am lecture (totally not speaking from experience), use it to your advantage. Getting outside, staying active, and maybe even engaging in a little bit of child-like fun is one of the best ways to keep spirits up- even in the midst of winter gloom. 

Ayushman Sen

Play Some Games

Be it online or in person, solo or multiplayer, playing games has to be one of the most fun ways to spend your time, especially if you don’t feel like going outside. You can hop on a game that you have been interested in, or maybe a game your friend has been insisting on you playing. You could finally try and achieve that rank you have been aiming for, or that rare achievement, or perhaps even an alternate secret ending in the game. You could arrange a time to play with your friends and get up to some multiplayer shenanigans. Perhaps, the digital world feels too hectic, so you could try and pick up a new board game. Invite your friends over, or go to their house, and just enjoy the good ol’ traditional way of enjoying and spending the winter time.

Pick up a new skill

Have you ever thought “Wow, that’s cool. I wish I knew how to do that!” Well, this is your time! With being stuck at home during these snowy winters, it might be the best time to finally learn, and even become a master at that one thing you have been itching to learn. Be it graphic design, making videos, or a really niche skill (like knowing what factory a soda was made in), there’s a myriad of new things to learn. You could spend hours and hours mastering that one skill, as you sit cozy at home, looking out the window at the snow. You could also have a skill that really polishes up your resume, or makes life so much easier. And, who knows, you might just get an incredible ice breaker!