Summer came with some much-needed fun and time away from the regular day-to-day grind. The past year has been especially stifling with several compulsory lockdowns. It is no wonder that most people are grumbling about winter and having to stay indoors once again.
If you work at home, you must have been used to going days without setting foot outside. Now that summer is gone, there is hardly any motivation for you to step out into the dreary and wet outdoors. However, the benefits of spending time outside remain, even in winter. This article will show you 6 ways to motivate yourself to get outside this winter.
Can The Outdoors Be Fun In Winter?
When you list the pros and cons of going outside during winter, don’t do it only based on the weather. When you let the constantly cold and wet atmosphere dictate your activities, you will hardly get any outdoor activity done.
The trick to enjoying the goodness of spending time outside in winter is to do so based on what nature can offer you, even in such times. Below are some of the ways to motivate yourself to go outside more this winter, and reduce winter tiredness.
1. Consider Outside Nature’s Way of Pampering You
The current reality makes it very easy to forget that there are other things to enjoy apart from your Playstation set, social media, and hooking up with friends virtually. You need to get out of your home to remember that nature has a lot to show you, even in winter.
Visit a natural warm spring with healing properties and let nature pamper you. Go to the zoo with your family to see how wild animals cope during winter.
2. Redirect Your Thoughts
On a regular day, your mind is overwhelmed with things you need to get done, things you forgot to do, or the people you’re responsible for. When your brain becomes overwhelmed, it starts functioning by default.
Being out of control is not good for you. As such, take time to drop your daily duties, and go outside. Then, you’ll be able to redirect your thoughts to more pleasurable experiences, even if it’s for a little while. It can easily get lonely during winter, this is the best time to explore the outdoors more.
3. Make It A Part Of Your List
If you’re obsessed with making to-do lists or cannot function without them, you should include timeouts in your weekly activities.
Make sure to include in your to-do list spending time outside two to three times weekly, especially if you work from home.
4. Consider It A Way Of Getting Your Daily Dose Of Vitamin D
While the sunlight does sometimes allow your skin to generate vitamin D, it is not often strong enough to do so in the winter. Getting outside will still be beneficial for your health, but the government advises taking vitamin D supplements to safeguard your intake during the colder months.
5. Consider Time Outside Your Playtime
Once or twice weekly, replace your fun indoor activity with going outside to play. For example, if watching a movie or playing video games is your way of unwinding, replace that with going outside to play basketball with friends or feeding birds in the park.
6. Take up a social cause
You can join a social cause as a good reason to spend time outdoors in winter. Whether this is cleaning up your community or walking a neighbour’s dog, there are many ways to give something back.
In Conclusion
The gloominess of the winter can trick your body and mind to detest going outside, but the benefits of spending time outside outweigh that of staying indoors all the time.