Avoid the holiday blues!

Getting excited for the holidays can feel like an emotional gamble, especially if you work a job that requires dealing with customers. On one hand, December has the potential to be a month of rest and reflection. On the other hand, the early sunsets, stress of the holidays and general overstimulation of the month can turn it into an incredibly exhausting experience. Here are some ways you can keep your energy up!

Consider a Solar Light

If you feel especially affected by the early sunsets, you're not alone. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a medically recognized phenomenon where people experience mood swings, a lack of energy, and other depressive symptoms that can stem from seasonal changes, such as reduced exposure to sunlight. As your body's circadian rhythm takes plenty of input from the sunlight in your surroundings, the sudden post-daylight saving switch can leave a lot of people feeling moody and disoriented.

While there's no single easy solution to this problem, buying a solar light can go a long way. These lights (or lightbulbs) are designed to shine at a light frequency that matches sunlight, tricking your body into thinking that it's getting sunlight exposure, even in the dead of winter. You can score some reliable ones from Amazon for a relatively affordable price—a price that's more than worth it if it means calming some restless evenings. 

As much as nobody enjoys being told to wake up early, this is another thing that can help in managing the stress that the season provides. Catching some sunlight in the morning can help your body sustain itself for the rest of the day, translating to a happier and healthier month. While nobody's asking you to get up at 6 a.m. to watch the sunrise every day, setting your alarm instead of sleeping in can translate to a significant increase in energy for the rest of the day. If nothing else, you can go back to sleeping past noon once the spring rolls around!

Have Things to Do (But Respect Your Limits)

Having routine commitments to show up for can make a massive difference in your energy during the winter, especially if you're one of the many aforementioned people who reacts negatively to the early sunsets. Gym time, weeknight restaurant events, and even board game nights with friends are all simple but effective ways to give yourself something to do after sunset—ensuring your day doesn't effectively end at 4:30 p.m.

Making new commitments doesn't have to be anything intense or long-term. You don't need to decide you're going to become a black belt in Judo or write three complete drafts of a novel over the course of the winter, just having basic social commitments to honor can have serious benefits for your mood and energy. 

At the same time, it's also important to check in with your emotions and make sure you're not getting overwhelmed. The holidays are a busy time, with a lot of professional and family commitments for people, and it can be easy to accidentally spread your energy too thin. To that end, don't hesitate to sit an event out if you're not feeling up to it. 

Just make sure to communicate this with your friends, family, or coworkers. After all, if a friend is keeping themselves sane by looking forward to a casual dinner with you, canceling 15 minutes before with no warning means you might just be passing off your stress to them. 

Exercise!

We get it: no matter how much you enjoy your gym routine, having someone else tell you to exercise isn't fun.

With that in mind, it's worth noting that "exercise" doesn't have to mean committing to an intense powerlifting routine. Sometimes, it means just setting aside 1-2 hours a week to get some movement in—even if that movement is just a walk through the neighborhood. To put it mildly, there are a LOT of benefits to working out. People who get constant exercise report better sleep, better moods, more energy, and an easier time adapting to the change in seasons. 

Once again, exercising doesn't have to be intense or exhausting. After all, the best kind of fitness routine is the kind you can sustain, and that means there's no shame in starting off light!

What are some ways you fight the holiday blues? Sound off in the comments!