by Anna Starkey

While summer fades and fall begins, it is difficult to come to terms with less daylight, fewer leaves, and less warmth.  Instead of allowing your mood to shift with the seasons, stay positive about the weather by incorporating these simple fixes into your life:

Stay Outside!

Instead of moping around your home searching for indoor activities, go back outside.  The weather may be nippy but it surely will not bite as long as you dress appropriately with layers and bundling.  Staying outside allows your body to intake natural sunlight and energize.  It also motivates you to rake the leaves.  Ohio offers many beautiful – and free – reserves open to the public year round.

Be Active!

Unlike bears, humans were not designed to hibernate during the winter.  Do not become dormant once the temperatures fall.  Instead of lounging around, try to obtain at least 30 minutes of exercise each day.  This can be accomplished by simply taking your dog for a walk or doing core exercises in the morning.

Embrace the Season! 

Rather than keeping your beach-scented candles and summer decor on show, switch your style to match the season.  This helps with transition from summer to fall and eventually to winter by preventing you from reminiscing about the warm weather.  Along with changing your style, do seasonal activities.  Watch scary movies.  Drink apple cider.  Bake Pillsbury pumpkin cookies.  Attend haunted houses.  Embracing the season allows you to enjoy traditions despite the weather.

Create a Countdown!

If you absolutely cannot manage to do anything other than stare out the window and dream about the spring, create a countdown to the last day of winter.  Although this will not speed up the cold season, it will give you something positive to look forward to when the leaves fall and two-foot snow piles line the sidewalks.