For many, myself included, winter is one of the hardest seasons. In the north, the weather stays steady and cold, usually between 15°-30° (in New Jersey). This weather can have detrimental effects on your physical and mental health. There are so many discouraging factors about winter. You can’t go outside for more than 10-minute increments, or else your fingers will go numb. You’re more likely to get sick (especially with the flu). After winter break, there’s usually a semester change and stressful midterms or finals. Teachers are piling on heavy workloads. You long for camp, beach days, and summer programs to start. In the mornings when you get up for school, your bed feels just a little more comfy and your blankets a little warmer. Your bed pulls you in, making it incredibly difficult to get up. This is what I like to call the “winter slump”; it can be hard to pull yourself out. Here is my best advice for getting out of your winter slump:

• Do it anyway: When you’re in a slump, some of the activities that used to appeal to you, maybe won’t at this point. Do these activities anyway. The most effective way to pull yourself out of your slump is doing things you don’t want to do, as it will give you a sense of normalcy in your life. 

• Set a schedule: More often than not, setting a concrete schedule for yourself is incredibly helpful. Your brain naturally enjoys consistency. This will give relief with minimal effort. One thing that I have found works for me is consistently showering every night around 10 pm, to be in bed around 10:30 pm. 

• Think about the future: While this may be even more stressful, everything you do now will affect you long-term (positively or negatively). Before you skip a homework assignment, think about how that will affect your grade. It could be the difference between an A or a B!

• Stay hopeful: The winter months can feel long and grueling. The best piece of advice I can give is to stay hopeful and know that this feeling will pass. Summer is only a few months away; camp, beach days, summer programs, and hanging out with friends every single day are only a few months away.