Staying motivated this winter: tricks from a content creator to help your mental health

Y’all - is anyone else feeling the winter blues? Once February hits and spring is around the corner, it’s almost like time stands still and your mental health takes a hit. You start the year with so much renewed energy and motivation and somehow a month later things start going downhill. I am all about the cozy winter vibes - hot drinks, warm blankets, and fuzzy slippers - but that can only help you so much. Staying happy and motivated through dark mornings, gloomy days, and early nights is a particular struggle for those who suffer from seasonal depression and who find the lack of sunlight disrupts their internal clock and reduces the amount of serotonin (the happiness chemical) their bodies produce. So… what can we do about it? That’s what I will be talking about in this episode, so stay tuned.

Keep yourself active (even indoors!)

One of the biggest challenges that winter brings is the harsh cold weather (especially here where I am in Canada). Some days, it’s unbearable outside and if you are used to daily walks around your neighborhood or taking a stroll to a nearby coffee shop - you’re forced inside, sitting most of the day during these winter storms. But there are ways to combat that. Something I started doing a while back is morning stretches - something to just get my body moving in the morning before I start my work day. I found this would help clear my mind and get me started on the right foot. Something else I have been doing more recently (which is a little bit of an investment) is walking on a treadmill. I have a desk that can be converted into a standing desk and so occasionally, while I am doing morning emails or on a meeting with Shelby, one of the members of my team, I take a little walk, and let me tell you - it can work up a sweat.

Now, it’s not always bad outside during the winter months - so when the weather permits - you can bet I am outside, bundled up if necessary, taking a walk and getting fresh air. The goal here is to find some things you can do inside to replace your outdoor activities and lean on those when you can’t be outside.

Lean into your relationships

With being a content creator and working from home, most of us choose the career path of being isolated and having the option to shut off the outside world, but if you lean into that too much (especially in the winter) - your mental health might begin to suffer.

Though it’s cold outside and the instinct is to stay indoors, maybe instead - meet a fellow content creator friend for coffee or lunch - you can co-work or even just chat about your future plans in your business or life - just like we just talked about in the last tip. These interactions can keep your light shining, even during these dark winter days.

Keep your sights set on the future (and keep yourself busy preparing for it!)

Instead of dwelling on the present, especially when you’re feeling in a down mood, start really focusing on your future plans. As a content creator, I am always thinking ahead in my business and what comes next, so during these off months, I am starting to work on products I plan to release later this year, I am planning on the content I think would be fun to create in the coming months, etc. You can also start making plans for your personal life too. Do you have a trip planned in the summer? Maybe start planning the areas you might be visiting, or watch some YouTube videos about those areas, and if you are anything like me - I even planned my capsule wardrobe for the trip I am on actually right now using Canva. And in case you didn’t know, I am actually recording this podcast from Spain. The beauty of being a full-time content creator (which by the way, if that’s your dream - later this week I am releasing a video all about how to become a full-time content creator in 2023, so make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/katie, if you haven’t already!

Readjust your schedule for the winter months

I think one problem a lot of people run into with the winter - is they try to keep the same routines and habits that they had the months prior. The days are shorter, the weather is different… and it just doesn’t make sense to keep the same routines. For example, you might have created first thing in the morning during the summer and fall, but now it’s super dark and cold in the mornings - and so not only do you not have that morning light for recording your Reel, but you lack the motivation you had before. Maybe now it would make more sense to create your content in the afternoons following lunchtime.

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Just know, you’re not alone - this time of year can be hard for a lot of people, which is one of the reasons I always suggest building an inner content creator circle - people you can talk to and who relate to what you’re going through. One thing you can do is hop over to my Instagram, @katiesteckly, and start chatting with each other in the comments - get to know each other and lean on each other during this time of year - you can also always reach out to me through my DMs - I do my best to respond to as many people as I can!