The Ultimate Guide to Surviving the Cold and Maximizing Your Productivity

Many people look forward to fall and winter with the colorful leaves and ski-season awaiting them. Others hate the idea of the weather getting colder and the days getting shorter. If you identify with the latter group and can’t seem to motivate yourself to get anything done, the following guide will help you make it through the dark times and maintain motivation and a good mood. 

Find aspects you actually like about fall/winter 

Even if you don’t like fall or winter, you might still find one or two aspects that you do like. Try to focus on those instead of the things you don’t like and your mood won’t be half bad. These kinds of aspects might be: the bright colors of the trees in fall, collecting chestnuts or building snowmen with your family, snowball fights, long, hot baths, warm and comfy clothes etc. 

Think positive

Sounds easy, but often isn't - although studies suggest that neuro-linguistic programming can help you feel better and more motivated. Telling yourself things like: "This will be easy!", "Piece of cake" or "This won't take long!" can help you approach your tasks in a more positive way and finish them faster. With a lot of practice everyone can take on a more positive way of thinking, which can ultimately lead to a more positive approach in all aspects of life. 

Awaken your curiosity 

Particularly when your motivation is at a constant low, it is important to do things that you’re really interested in. Pick a topic (or many topics) you want to learn more about and look for training courses in that field. Continuously learning new, interesting things and actually achieving something for yourself will make you happy and motivate you through winter. In the best case scenario, your curiosity will help you achieve your goals at work and you can kill two birds with one stone.  

Set time limits

Many people work more effectively when there is time pressure. Setting yourself certain time limits might help you focus on your tasks and be more motivated. You create an artificial time pressure and will feel more obligated to finish your tasks quickly. 

The 5 minute deal 

It is those certain unpleasant or boring tasks we have to do that make time drag along and really drown our motivation. This is where the 5 minute deal can help. Force yourself to spend 5 minutes in sole focus on that one task. If the unwillingness stays the same or even grows, it might be better to do the task at a later time. If the unwillingness decreases, keep on going! The 5 minute deal is a simple way to outsmart yourself. The hardest part is getting yourself to actually begin a task. After 5 concentrated minutes, you’ve managed the first step in mastering procrastination.  

For more tips, look at our infographic on how to overcome grumpiness at work: