Ladies and Gents, it is January: let the cold, wet days roll in. Here in Southern Maryland, the snow days don’t show up enough and the school days seem to drag. We have no joy to come home to, well, except for our warm beds. Blah, blah, blah, who wants to go home to their warm bed? Who wants to waste their time sleeping during the day? You can do that when you’re dead. During this blistering, cold filled days you can’t help but imagine the long days filled with Vitamin D. You can’t help but think of the pools, beaches, and summer love you had from 2014. You caress in the warm sun that is just too far away to suntan. Well if this is you, and you find yourself down in the slumps during winter, then here are some tips to bring your own sunshine during this dreary season!

Wear Bright Colors: Once Christmas ends many people put away the red, greens golds, and sparkles, the pop colors are commonly replaced with depressing blacks, greys, and monotones. Well as these colors may be the norm they tend to blend in with the crowd, and add to the dreary colorscape of winter. Bring your own sunshine by adding pop colors! Pinks, cobalt blue, winter white, and any other stand-out sunshine color would look great!

Look Good to Feel Great: In the cold winter months it is easy to get down in the slumps. You find yourself tired of cozying up to the fire, wearing sweat pants, and sleeping. You soon notice how bad you look from hibernating for months. Get up early, get dressed, and Go! It may seem impossible to get up when your alarm clock goes off at 6 o’clock, but right when it rings throw your sheets off and jump up. Run to get your coffee and think “I’m gonna look great today!” It’s been proven that you perform better when you feel better. Do your hair just the way you like it, try different makeup, switch up your outfit, take style risks! As you wake up earlier you begin to realize how great the feeling of having more time truly is. The idea of having more time becomes extremely addicting because the possibilities of what do with your time become endless! Why waste an efficient day sleeping in your sweats?

Experiment, Explore Yourself: Here’s an idea in the blistering cold embrace your loneliness and find out what you like. How do you like your eggs? How do you take your coffee? How do you like your steak? Figure out the things about yourself that you had never thought to explore. Experiment, try something, these will get you out of your inner shell and help you figure out you. In the winter we are all less busy, we can take this time to get to know ourselves! Read magazines, lots, find out your style! Look for new recipes to make, love and share with your friends! Go on pinterest, find cool new projects to work on! Just get busy when you are lodged in alone. Be content where you are to enjoy every moment possible.

Dont be a Hermit: Quit your hibernating! Get out of the house! Go to your favorite coffee shop, hang out with your friends. If you sit in the house all day and night you will get lonely and bitter, like the weather outside. Help yourself out and go bowling, go to a yummy restaurant, go see a movie, go to your best friends house, go for a walk, enjoy yourself outside of your cave!

Exercise: Get that blood flowing! Start moving, you have to work your body to get out of the slumps. Exercise can be going for a run if you are that motivated, or it can be as easy as going for a walk, playing an interactive Wii game, or going on the elliptical. If you end up losing weight and looking better in the process, then it is a win, win!

This winter, don’t get down in the dumps look at the scenery, get busy, have fun and keep warm!