From November to March every year, I have a hard time staying motivated. I find myself wanting to “bedrot.” Many other teenagers face the same lack of energy due to lack of sleep, sunshine, sports, and, of course, so much school work. However, over time and by using social media (by creating a positive and motivational algorithm) I have turned this typical lack of motivation during the winter months into a stronger mindset leading into the warmer months. Here’s how I did it (without spending any money).
Exercise
Go on a walk. If you’re anything like me, this might not sound particularly fun. However, I have discovered ways that can make walking slightly more enjoyable. Ask a friend to go with you and meet somewhere fun. We live near the beach, so there are plenty of views to enjoy. In addition, you can listen to music while walking which can make the walk slightly less boring. Even a 15-20 minute walk is proven to reduce cortisol levels in your brain, improving mood, reducing depression, and lowering anxiety. I always feel more motivated after a quick walk. In addition, if you like running, try going for a run–even if it’s short.
I do recognize that the hardest part of the idea of walking is going outside in the winter. If you don’t feel like braving the cold, look up your exercises of choice on YouTube. Even TikTok has step by step videos now. For example, girls may lean towards pilates and yoga, while boys may lean more towards weight lifting/body weight exercises. Whatever type of exercise you choose, it can boost your mood by lowering stress levels or hormones, increasing endorphins–feel good molecules. Finally, my favorite way to exercise is going to the gym. Find someone to go with so that you are held accountable and stay motivated to go. Once you are there, it is so helpful to stay motivated, and it improves your health and confidence overall.
Cleaning
According to Mental Health America, keeping your space clean promotes calmness and a sense of control of your everyday life. You don’t need your space to be spotless, but avoiding clutter is beneficial. In addition, the act of cleaning is helpful to reduce stress. Start small, just picking up a few items each day before your room gets so messy that it stresses you out to clean it all at once.
Spend time with others
Try to reach out to your friends at the beginning of each week, to have at least one activity planned for that weekend. Any way of hanging out with friends can benefit your mental health by getting out of your own head and laughing with someone else. In addition, a strong relationship will be beneficial during these difficult winter months as you have someone to rant to and something to look forward to.
Listen to positive music + create a positive social media algorithm
Personally, I spend too much time doom scrolling on my phone, so for my New Year’s Resolution, I needed to fix my doom scrolling problem. However, I did recognize that doom scrolling was often all I had the energy to do during the winter months, and realistically, I wouldn’t have been able to lower my screen time by much. So instead, I told myself I would start liking motivational and positive videos in order to become motivated instead of sad from doom scrolling. In addition, I also started to listen to positive music instead of sad music. This was huge for me as I used to ruin my days by listening to sad music at 7 a.m.
