According to Rush, many people – not to say, even star employees – can get winter blue during the season. Winter blue is a mood shift during the colder, darker winter due to lack of sunlight. When there is low natural light, three major problems can occur, said Joyce Corsica to Rush, including lower serotonin, disruption in circadian rhythms, and change in melatonin. All of these factors can have a direct impact on an individual’s mood, resulting in less enjoyment in life and lower work performance.
That explains why you want to linger to your bed and avoid work. Yet, it should not be a reason to turn into lazy and unproductive bears during winter. Winter lasts for approximately 3 months and there are tasks you should finish. Hence, kick the winter blue and here are tips for you to be productive during the cold season.
See also: Winter in the Workplace: Tips to Prevent Electrical Hazard During Winter
Sticking to the to-do list might not come easy during winter and yet, a buddy can help you committed to your goals. Having someone who rides on the same road or at least being supportive of our goals can ease your way to achieve our purpose. Science data shows that people you surround with influence how you act. This behaviour is called social contagion theory where your surroundings affect your particular behaviours.
As an example, when you set a big goal but veered off a bit because of the changing seasons, your surroundings affect your decision towards your goal. If you get a buddy who tends to lazily, you might never get to the peak of success. On the contrary, if you spend your time with someone who always sees a silver lining, success might come on your way. So, be mindful when choosing your working buddy.
Rewards have a huge impact on our decision towards our life and/or work targets.
You can create immediate rewards and deferred rewards. Immediate reward helps you stay motivated and productive during the day. To illustrate, you can ask your co-worker to send you a thank you note once you finish one of your tasks so you can stay motivated to get to another task immediately. Meanwhile, deferred reward helps you save your motivation for the next day, so you can be more productive the following days. The example of deferred gratification is having a warm bath after long working hours or treating yourself with the best hot noodles in your area after work.
It probably is hard during dark days to get sunlight, but it is not impossible. According to Cosmopolitan, dark clouds still allow about 32 percent of the sun’s rays to peek through, while white clouds let in as much as 89 percent of the sun’s light.
But why sunlight? Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine mentioned that sunlight plays a major role in productivity and work performance. Sunlight is also good for doing all of your daily activities. No reason to not get sunlight, right? But of course, it is better to stay inside when it is heavily raining or during a snowstorm.
Drinking water might not as ideal as sipping hot chocolate during winter, however, it should not be absent from your productivity tips. Water does not only detoxifies your body. Drinking water also helps you stay hydrated, especially in a winter season when you tend to avoid physical activities.
When it is summer, human’s body gets enough supply of vitamin D from the sun’s light. On the contrary, winter makes it hard for you to get enough vitamin D. Why vitamin D is such an important subject? Traditionally, vitamin D is important only for the absorption of calcium and bone health, yet a study published at CareerWise revealed more. Getting enough supply of vitamin D is not only good for the body and physical health, but it is also good to increase happiness, self-esteem, and well-being. That said, while the sun is hiding during winter, it is advisable for you to take vitamin D supplement to help you stay motivated and productive.
Read also: 4 Ways Incentives Impact Behaviour Change
