How to be Well Rested and Fight Winter Blahs

A perennial danger of shortened, cold winter days is succumbing to lethargy or seasonal depression. As you stare down the barrel of January to resume work or to fulfill a New Year's exercise resolution, remember this: Cultivating a few healthy habits throughout the year can enhance your overall quality of life far more than daily visits to the gym for one month. According to psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of "Flow," minimizing boredom and anxiety is key for enhancing one's life experiences. So take steps to avoid the blahs in any season!

Instructions

• 1

  Set a regular sleep schedule and try to stick to it, even on the weekends. This might seem obvious, but according to a 2010 poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation (see link in Resources for poll details), the majority of people surveyed said they get a good night's sleep only a few nights per week or less. Each person has different sleep needs, so there is no prescription for how much is enough. Listen to your body, aim for a regular schedule and avoid skimping then trying to play catch up.

• 2

  Exercise regularly. Instead of setting and then abandoning unrealistic exercise goals, create an exercise routine that's achievable and challenging without being burdensome. Obvious ways to exercise include taking a fitness class or visiting a gym, but there are other options that incrementally add up. Take the stairs at work. Leave the car behind and walk that half mile for a gallon of milk.

• 3

  Engage in satisfying activities that require your attention and are challenging. By doing such activities on a daily basis, you will find that it becomes easier to achieve the exhilarating sense of transcendence Csikszentmihalyi calls "flow." People experience flow during all sorts of activities, such as playing chess or running through the park.

• 4

  Set goals for your activities: to run a half marathon one year from now; to knit a scarf for your sister by her birthday. Csikszentmihalyi says that when setting activity goals, "The goal in itself is usually not important; what matters is that it focuses a person's attention and involves it in an achievable, enjoyable activity." The result is a more meaningful experience.

• 5

  Allow yourself the occasional misstep! Sometimes you need to stay up late for a friend's birthday party or you just don't feel like jogging in the damp weather. As long as these remain exceptions and don't become habitual excuses, you'll be well on your way to enhancing your quality of life and chasing away the blues.