by Bill Hellkamp

School starts and Halloween follows closely after. That means the days are shortening and the cold winds are flowing from the north. Winter is upon us. For those of us in the northern climates it means driving to work in the dark and coming home the same way. For some of us, these short days can mean melancholy or worse, and I am no exception. Because of that I’ve had to develop a strategy for maintaining a “sunny” outlook, even when it’s hard to find the sun. If you find it difficult to remain cheerful during these short days, try one or two of the following ideas.

Get Out of the Office at Lunchtime. Avoid getting trapped in the office for the whole day and ending with only that dark drive ahead of you. Make it a habit to get outside during lunch or another break in the day for a ten or fifteen minute walk. Not only will this remind you that daylight still exists, but it’s good exercise.

Light Up Your Office. With it being darker outside, perhaps you can make it a little lighter indoors. A desk lamp that you don’t use during the summer might be more effective this time of year. I have a whole bank of spot lights in my office that I only find useful in the winter. More lights can brighten your attitude as well as your office.

Work Out More Often. The warmth of the summer months cause us to spend more time outdoors playing games or taking walks. When the cold and darkness force us inside, we may not realize that we are getting much less exercise than we had been. So make a plan to get to the gym more often during these winter days. And since most people do this before or after work, the bright lights of the club can make you feel as if the daylight is lasting a little longer. Since I live in cold Minneapolis, I also like to spend time in the sauna or steam room to get on a nice summer sweat.

Increase Your Vitamin D. This is an essential nutrient that we most commonly get from exposure to the sun, so it is not unusual to find this lacking during the winter. A deficiency in this vitamin can lead to irritability and fatigue and if prolonged, to bone weakness. Find a high quality vitamin D supplement and take it regularly.