It’s the same every year. It starts to get a little chillier, you find yourself eating soup more often, then the clocks change and BAM! Hello winter…

Most of us relate this time of year to gloomy days, darker nights and generally feeling a bit fed up. Because of this, the lovely people at UnCOVered got together and thought up some neat little tricks to make the colder months a little easier on you.

Exercise More

Just because it’s not beach season, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do your bit to stay in shape. Exercise releases endorphins, which make us happier, exactly what you’ll need as the dark nights draw in. Plus, even if you’re not a massive fan of working out, you can think of the gym as a great place to hide away from the miserable weather.

Create a happy working space

Tired of sitting round your computer or huddled in the library looking at the grim weather? Why not turn your working area into a happier place? Try putting up photos, drawings or whatever else you need to keep you smiling, and think of good times with friends and family. A positive working environment can be a real difference-maker, especially when you can’t see the sun.

Invest in vitamins

Nutrition in general is important of course, but vitamins are even more so at this time of year. Vitamins help boost your immune system to fight against bugs and illnesses. However, the main vitamin we miss out on, which can improve our mood and happiness, is vitamin D. Throughout the colder months, most of us will be cooped up during the hours of daylight, causing us to miss out on vital vit D from the sun. This is what can cause SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and give you that fed up feeling. So stock up well and keep smiling.

Have things to look forward to

No matter what you are interested in, or whatever gets you excited, make sure you do more of these things in the winter, even if it’s a bigger effort. By organising your interests you’ll have plenty to look forward to if things get you down. You could even try keeping a calendar of what you’re looking forward to so you can see things coming, helping the worst of the days pass by without notice.

Get a new hobby

It’s always a good to learn something new, so if the cold weather has you fearful of the outside world, why not try a new hobby? Whether it’s fine-tuning your baking skills, picking up a musical instrument or taking on the wonderful world of blogging, a new hobby to focus your attention on can help the grim days fly by. Even better, hobbies improve your CV and can help you to make new friends and impress your current ones too.

Hold a TV party

Yeah, there’s plenty of terrible stuff that hits our TVs over the autumn and winter, but there’s also a lot of great things too. Anyone else excited for the returns of The Apprentice and The Walking Dead? That weekly wait for the next episode gives you plenty of time to organise your friends and sort out who’s grabbing the take-away for a good ol’ viewing party. On the other hand, if you don’t like the look of what’s on, play catch up with Netflix or buy some cheap box sets. There’s plenty out there to watch and discuss with your new friends.

Don’t stop going outside…

There’s something strangely satisfying about the frosty air in the winter, the crispness, the chill that washes over your lungs. You shouldn’t take that for granted. It’s still important that you get a good dose of fresh air on a daily basis during the winter. No one should be kept indoors all day and once you get into a routine of a brisk walk or gentle jog, you’ll actually find it’s really refreshing. And it’s also worth noting, England can be quite an amazing sight on the brighter days.

…but hibernating doesn’t have to be boring either!

Ok, some people will never be convinced and are hard to get outside even in the summertime. So what do you do if you’re destined to hibernate but still want to have fun? Well, there’ll still be plenty to enjoy around campus or your local area, so look out for any upcoming events. Then again, if you fancy a road trip, there’s always loads of entertaining stuff going on in venues across the country.  From the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham to the O2 in London, all are easily accessible via road and public transport.

Whichever method works best for you, stick to it and don’t let the drearier days give you the blues. After all, nothing lasts forever and before we all know it we’ll all be digging out our little shorts and big sunglasses once again.