#10...su

[goodbyed-blog]

10 Ways to...Stay Upbeat: SEVEN

Socialize

Weather

"Light Therapy"

Shop!

Bundle up

Avoid alcohol

Eat well

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to keep your body feeling great!

Diet and exercise are proven to affect your happiness, so why would you ignore them? If you don’t keep your body well nourished it will fight back at you. Your energy is drained. With no energy, how can you enjoy the world around you?

Make a pact to yourself that despite how bad you may feel and despite all the temptation there may be, you will keep your diet in control. Remember that there are proteins and vegetables to be eaten, not just cookies and pie. Also, try to get out and exercise a little. It’s easy to fall into the lazy, sluggish mood of holiday breaks—but remember your body still deserves some respect. Force yourself to get out and do something good for yourself! For example, I’m signed up to run in a 5 mile race on Thanksgiving. My city has hosted the “Turkey Trot” for years but I was always too lazy to go for it. This year, I’m changing that.

Take some initiative over yourself and do what is good for you. Resist temptation to stay on the couch. Resist temptations to overeat or starve. Resist all the bad and let in the good and you will find it so much easier to stay upbeat this holiday season!

xo, Caroline

[goodbyed-blog]

10 Ways to...Stay Upbeat: SIX

Socialize

Weather

"Light Therapy"

Shop!

Bundle up

Avoid alcohol

We all know that alcohol has made its place in the holiday season. Eggnog, champagne, wine, you name it--alcohol has become a holiday tradition. And alcohol is great--if you're at or over your country's legal drinking age, or with your family. But too much alcohol can make you gain weight like crazy. A drink here and there with dinner is fine, if you're staying sober, but the calories from alcohol cause a lot of weight gain. The key to staying upbeat this holiday? Avoid alcohol! You'll be much healthier and happier without it. xo, Ashlyn

[goodbyed-blog]

10 Ways to...Stay Upbeat: FOUR

Socialize

Weather

"Light Therapy"

Shop!

When I say shop, I don't mean max out your credit cards by buying everything you see through the windows of expensive boutiques. That never ends well. What I do mean is shop for others! While staying in your budget, of course. It's the holiday season, so you already have an excuse to live in the mall, so go ahead and buy for your friends, family, significant others, co-workers, pets, etc! Buying for others is a surprisingly great thing. Figuring out what to get, getting it, seeing them open and love it, it's nice and a good distraction from all the stress from the holidays. Instead of focusing on yourself this holiday season, focus on others and see what happens! 

xo, Evelyn

[goodbyed-blog]

10 Ways to...Stay Upbeat: THREE

Socialize

Weather

"Light Therapy"

I don’t know about you guys, but when the weather gets cold so do my spirits. It’s a little hard for me to be as happy as I want to be during the Holidays because I am such a sunshine-type person. Maybe its because I’ve grown up in Texas, but I love heat, summer, and the sun. When the time changes and the world gets darker in the winter, I get a little bummed out.

There is actually a psychiatric disorder that has been recognized called seasonal defective disorder. This means that a person’s mood is greatly affected by the changing to the point of depression. Usually worsening in the winter, but sometimes reversed.

Some forms of therapy use something called “light therapy” in which a person is exposed to daylight or certain waves of light using certain kinds of lamps. “Light boxes” are used in peoples’ rooms to mimic sunlight. This form of therapy is also used for those with other non-seasonal disorders like major depression and bipolar disorder. Obviously, light is a healing power.

Now I’m not saying everyone should go out and try to find themselves a sun lamp or something. I just found this to be interesting because of how much I relate to it. Point is, we all need to find a little something to brighten our lives when the weather gets cold. So whether it’s a light box or not, try to lighten your spirits.

xo, Caroline

[goodbyed-blog]

10 Ways to...Stay Upbeat: TWO

Socialize

Weather

Rain, snow, wind, sun (it's late November & only 82 degrees in Texas...killin' me), sleet, fog, heat - whatever the weather may be, dress for it. Enjoy it. Embrace it. Even if you're like me and hate the snow, find something you love about it and cherish that. Going outside and convincing yourself that you don't actually hate whatever it may feel like will be detrimental in the end. After all, if you convince yourself that okay, maybe today you like snow, getting hit on the back with a snowball will only make you retaliate, not piss you off...at least, not quite as much. 

xo, Katy

[goodbyed-blog]

10 Ways to...Stay Upbeat: ONE

Socialize

Even if you're like me and constantly claim that you "hate everyone," let's be honest...The holidays can make you incredibly lonely. So, one way to avoid SAD (seasonal affective disorder) is to go out and talk to people! Call your mom, sister, cousin, brother, best friend and do something, even if it's just tagging along to run errands or grabbing a coffee. Spending just an hour with someone besides yourself (or cat or dog) is a refreshing and easy way to boost your spirits a little more. Try going to the annual neighborhood party or something that you've skipped every year. Just...don't hole yourself away in your room, soaking up everything on Tumblr and "forgetting" to eat. Go out and play! Plus, everyone likes to cuddle in the holiday season. ;) Yea, you know what I'm talking about.

xo, Katy