Navigating the winter blues as a student
It’s that time of the year again! Cold weather, short days, snowy nights – winter is indeed here. It’s the most wonderful time of the year… but IS it? Having been in university for a few years now, I’ve come to be well acquainted with the changes in season and how they affect me. Especially during the transition from fall to winter, I often find myself experiencing insomnia, social withdrawal, loss of interest in my favourite hobbies, and even a decreased sense of worth and hope.
This would get very challenging, and even debilitating at times, with periods where I could hardly get out of bed for days on end. Before I knew it, I was missing deadlines and falling behind on school work, which in turn made me lose even more motivation and thus began the endless loop.
I knew I could no longer let this get the worst of me as I still had tons of responsibilities as a student. So, I did lots of research, spoke to several of my friends and family for advice, and eventually found more and more ways to pull myself out of the winter blues. Here are a few ways I was able to make the change in seasons a little more bearable and even fun!
Source: Çağlar Canbay on Unsplash
1. Taking vitamin D supplements
During winter, we tend to experience low levels of vitamin D due to decreased exposure to sunlight. Having grown up in the tropics, I didn’t realize how much of my energy came from sunlight until my first winter in Canada. Many students I’ve spoken to have found that vitamin D supplements help increase their energy levels – something we all need during a busy semester.
2. Having group study sessions
I learned the hard way that isolating yourself during the winter is probably not the greatest idea. In times like this, I’ve realized the importance of having regular social interactions and staying connected with people. This became even more apparent during the peak of the pandemic. Instead of (hardly) studying alone in my room and wallowing in self pity, I decided to start reaching out to a few buddies to organize study sessions, even as little as bi-weekly. Soon enough, I was able to get back into the habit of studying and, little did I know, this motivated my friends to study more as well since we were doing it together! If you’re feeling unmotivated and can’t study at home, but also don’t want to go out in the cold alone, grab a friend and go study with them at a cafe!
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3. Developing a healthy sleep schedule
As a student, it can be really hard to have a consistent sleeping schedule (especially during midterms and finals season) and yet, it is one of the most important factors to consider! Personally, I have found that getting a good eight hours of sleep is of tremendous importance in revitalizing my body and mind. As much as I’d prefer to stay up late working on assignments, I try as best as I can to schedule my day in such a way that I get most of my tasks completed before 10 PM. By doing this, I can almost guarantee that I have always felt 3x more energized and uplifted the following day! Since then, my beauty sleep has become a priority in my life.
4. Keeping in touch with friends and family
As I mentioned earlier, I learned to prioritize my connections with people, especially friends and family. During my first weekend in Canada, I grew a lot closer to my family from talking to them almost daily. Being an international student, I know not everyone has the means to return to visit their friends and family, but even daily conversations with my parents went a long way! It wasn’t until a few winters later that I realized how much more in touch I become with my family and how this subconsciously motivates me to stay strong and push through. The same goes with friends. It’s so important to check in on each other and offer as much support as we receive.
5. Watching your favourite childhood shows/films
I’ve come to realize that I feel more in tune with my inner child on cold winter nights, watching a childhood show in my PJs and a cup of hot chocolate in my hand. I call this an easy recipe for happiness. Using this time to give yourself a bit of a mental break can be super helpful especially if you’re super overwhelmed with school and work. On the weekends, treat yourself to a movie or show you really enjoyed as a child and see how much joy that brings you. If you need inspiration, I highly recommend Gilmore Girls (for study motivation) or literally any Studio Ghibli films!
Hopefully doing these can help you increase your physical and mental energy. Remember that you are never alone in this and there’s always someone to reach out to. If you feel like these symptoms might be a sign of an underlying issue, please reach out to your health care provider! Good luck with exams and happy holidays!
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