6 Helpful Tips for Staying Motivated in the Winter

Do you struggle to motivate yourself in the winter? Do you find yourself hitting the snooze button too many times? Wanting to snuggle up on the couch instead of working out? And finding ANY excuse not to go outside?

It can be hard to motivate yourself in the winter. The days are shorter and darker, and the nights are colder and longer.

So what can we do to motivate ourselves to get moving in the cold winter? Whether that’s moving outside or exercising inside, there are always ways to motivate ourselves!

Living in a van without heat in the winter has taught me many valuable lessons. One of the most important lessons has been how to not only survive in winter, but how to THRIVE in it.

There are many people who lose focus in the winter. They lose their drive. Their burning desire for success. The dark comes too quickly, and there's not enough sun for them.

You cannot let winter be your excuse. You have to figure out a way to keep growing and evolving, even through the tough times. And the truth of it is: when you learn how to thrive through the hard times, you grow way more than thriving through the easy times.

When you have to really push yourself to do something, your character is being built. When you are learning valubale lessons from mistakes you've made, your are growing and evolving as a human.

These are some of the tips I’ve found helpful these last few years.

10 HELPFUL TIPS FOR STAYING MOTIVATED IN THE WINTER

1. Set an alarm & don’t hit snooze. Even if you feel like you neeeeeed that extra 5 minutes, or if you feel like it’s too cold to get out of bed, do it anyway. Don’t make excuses. Get up at the sound of your alarm. Something that helped me with this was changing my alarm sound. Instead of the classing boring alarm, change it to a song that will hype you up! Get yourself excited to get up!

2. Set goals & make a schedule. Whether you have a goal to do yoga 3 times a week or to run 8 miles a day… set a goal. Set yourself realistic goals, WRITE THEM DOWN, and stick to them. You should schedule in your goals. Schedule in time to cook healthy foods, exercise, get out and move.

3. Find a friend. Try and find someone who can help hold you accountable. Find someone who wants to work out with you, get outside and walk around, or even someone to just talk about what you’re accomplishing with.

4. Keep it creative with the activities. Mix up what you’re doing everyday! Try fun new hobbies that are good to do in winter. Whether that is ice skating or snowshoeing, or indoor Pilates.. keep it fun with different ways to exercise!

5. Dress for the occasion. It’s winter, which means it’s most likely cold. If you are doing your activities outside, please dress warm enough! Layers are your best friend outside in the winter. Making sure you stay warm will help ensure you stay happy!

6. Set yourself up for success. If you plan to work out in the morning, get yourself ready the night before. Sleeping in my exercise clothes, making my coffee at night, and already having my stuff packed for the day are all simple things that have made my life so much easier. If you plan on working out later in the day, have your clothes and snacks and drinks already ready to go!

I hope these were some helpful tips when it comes to staying motivated in the winter! I’ve learned the more I embrace the winter, the more I love the winter.

What tips do you use to keep yourself motivated?! I’d love to hear and learn other helpful tricks from other people!