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As the seasons change, the time of day ends and we head into the fall and winter months, about 5% of Americans experience seasonal affective disorder, according to Cleveland Clinicand about 10%-20% get a milder form of winter blues.
While the percentages sound small, it means that millions of working Americans are also overcome by side effects, including problems with concentration, sadness and depression, anxiety, extreme fatigue and lack of energy, sleep problems, and other symptoms that affect our ability to work efficiently. and productively. If you're feeling blue when the weather is gray, here are six things to help.
1. Remember what drives you and start there
There is always a reason we invest time in the things that matter most to us. However, these reasons are easily forgotten in our darkest hours. When we forget the reasons we love our personal hobbies, professional pursuits, or families, we don't feel motivated to support and stay connected with them. This often causes them to stop doing it, which causes more depression.
Avoid this vicious circle by choosing remember why you started running or playing guitar first. Choose to remember how good it feels to make a change at work or how proud you felt about the last big project you completed. How we talk to ourselves matters and what we think about grows. So make it a point to think positively about all the big things that take up space in your life.
As you do, you'll feel more inspired to continue them, and the act of doing those things (which usually make you feel good) will give you more energy, creating a domino effect of inspiration to 'made them again.
2. Keep a gratitude list
Positive psychology research has shown that ACKNOWLEDGMENT is a major driver of happiness. When I'm at my best, I start each day by adding 2-3 specific items to my gratitude list (a document I keep on my personal computer) or my daily planner. I identify small victories or specific moments that happened in the last 24 hours that brought me joy. This shifts me into an abundance mindset, where I'm focused on what's working and what's going well versus a scarcity mindset, where I'm focused on what's not working or what's going wrong. Once I've done this, it's harder for me to slip back into a place of pessimism later in the day, even if something negative or unexpected happens.
Related: Why harnessing the power of gratitude is vital to your success
3. Start each day by completing a small task
My best days are the ones that start with one or two small tasks. There is a reason that Admiral William McRaven's book, Make your bedhas over 187,000 reviews shared between Amazon and Goodreads. McRaven argues that you can start your day by simply making your bed every morning, because you will have already proven to yourself that you can. complete projects and be productive. This mindset then carries over to your next set of tasks.
I have found this to be true. In the morning I make my bed right away and do the dishes right after breakfast (instead of waiting until later), I'm always more productive and efficient. It feels good to get things done, and feeling good gives us the motivation to achieve them more things done. Starting each day by completing a small task catapults us to feel good and that catapults us to do more. This serves as another domino effect.
4. Talk about it
Keeping our problems to ourselves rarely achieves anything. It can be embarrassing or embarrassing share your feelings with others when you are sad, worried or upset. But it also feels good to be vulnerable and brave about where you are with someone you trust. Many people process, grieve and heal through the act of speaking. Talking can also normalize what we are experiencing. Often, when I share my struggles with my mentor, partner, or friend, I learn that I am not alone. Usually, others will share similar experiences or emotions they've had and how they overcome them. I usually leave feeling much better.
5. Focus on progress, not perfection
I was raised to be both a perfectionist and happy all the time. When I expressed sadness or had the nerve to cry about something, I was often told to stop and get back on track. Over the past decade, I've come to realize how damaging this thinking was. We are not machines, we are people. We all make mistakes and have bad days. We all encounter situations that leave us feeling helpless. Life is not about perfection; it's about progress. Not only are you allowed to be imperfect, but so are you It is assumed be imperfect.
In Don Miguel Ruiz's 1997 book4 Agreements“always do your best” is the fourth agreement. The book has sold over 15 million copies! Ruiz explains that our best will not look the same every day. When we are tired, stressed or sick, we will not have as much to give as when we are rested and healthy. Instead of asking yourself to be flawless or flawless every day, just ask yourself if you gave it your best shot (whatever that was). Holding yourself to the standard of simply striving for your best is far more rewarding and inspiring than expecting every day to be perfect.
Related: Seek progress, not perfection: Why your business should embrace the “toothpick rule”
6. Don't focus on things you can't control
Whenever we feel like we're failing, we're often quick to blame external factors out of our control like our bad boss, another department or market conditions. Stop it. While it may feel good in the moment, it's rarely effective and takes the focus away from the one thing that can make a difference: you. Focusing on external factors doesn't help you build a plan for how to get back on track; it just leaves you feeling helpless and victimized. You can't control the economy, the weather, the past or other people – so don't waste time focusing on those things. Every minute you spend citing factors outside of yourself is a minute you're not spending finding a solution.
Before I discovered these six practices, I experienced much more sadness and anxiety in life. It was also harder to recover from those feelings and sometimes, I hardly recovered at all. These practices are surefire ways to help yourself reset and reset, no matter how depressed or sad you wake up.