This is the hardest time of year for me. The holidays are over, the decorations are packed away, and the snow (if you’ve got any!) doesn’t seem so pretty anymore. I’m ready for some sunshine! Less than sixty days until those warm temps and bright days! Woo-hoo! Gotta work on keeping that in mind to avoid that late winter slump. For me, the cold temps can easily cause good spirits and productivity to go right down the drain. Sometimes I think bears have it good, I could totally sleep all winter long just like them! Ha!

Give me some warm weather, that’s what helps the energy levels! Big projects anyone? Cleaning out the garage, scrubbing down the house, getting that garden bed ready…

During the winter, I find it a lot more difficult to muster the energy or the ambition for any projects, let alone big ones. Talk about feeling frustrated and overwhelmed! My Hubby is good for that, he knows how to get me motivated around the house when not much else will. I’m blessed!

One other thing that helps is to mentally put aside those big looming tasks. They’ll keep.  I often tell my kiddos when they get overwhelmed by something in school to eat their elephant bite-by-bite, not in one big gulp. You don’t want to choke! Let yourself feel rewarded by completing those tiny tasks. Let’s say you are sitting on the couch, itching to be productive but not knowing where to start. Don’t organize your entire bedroom—clean out a drawer. Don’t organize the closet—just sort through a pile of old towels.

You’ll be surprised at how good you feel when completing your tiny tasks. Best of all, those small nagging projects are probably the ones that have been bugging you for quite a while. That means you’ll get a great sense of relief from a small amount of effort. What a great payoff!

Another thing that helps me, is to seize that daylight while it lasts! So many winter days here in Missouri are gloomy and overcast, so whenever that sun peeks through, even just a little bit, I like to run out and soak as much as it in as I can… or if it’s too cold out, I’ve been known to curl up in the sun pouring through the window and pretend I’m a cat. (or something. LOL!) But my point is, our bodies and minds are nourished and energized by the sun. Making it a priority to see a little bit of the sun each day, even if it’s just for a few minutes at a time helps. It really can do a world of good.

Tell me, how do you stave off winter unproductivity? What hints can you pass along to keep us going day by day until Spring?