Many people are more motivated in the summer months, but that may not apply to you. What can you do to find motivation during the winter months?
In the winter, when many of us feel the need to hibernate, it can be harder to find motivation to exercise. However, exercise is a powerful form of therapy that has been shown to aid in fight depression, anxiety, and pain. All it takes is a few minutes each day to get started on a new fitness routine.
We often feel unmotivated during winter, when we’re stuck inside the house, scraping our way through endless piles of snow and ice. But that doesn’t mean we have to stay there. Take a look around your home and see if there’s a unifying theme to your winter hibernation. Perhaps you’ve always had your workshop in the garage, but this year you decided to keep it out of the weather. Perhaps you’ve kept a hobby room in the basement, but now you spend your free time playing games with your family instead of working on model cars. Perhaps you’ve been working on your novel online, but all of a sudden it’s hard to get in the right frame of mind. Or perhaps you’ve found a new means of
Contrary to popular belief, motivation is not something permanent. On the contrary, it comes and goes, it fluctuates and wavers, its strength depends on a number of often overlooked factors. The best intentions can be ruined by a temporary lack of motivation: A diet is derailed by a suggestion of dessert, a sober October is interrupted by things at work. Our yoga practice is also subject to such fluctuations in motivation and sways on emotionally fickle winds. The transition to the colder months promises pumpkin spice, Halloween candy on supermarket shelves, and – often – a growing discouragement to go to the yoga studio. Faced with hours without daylight and a sudden drop in temperature, the appeal of the studio fades and you leave the warm nest of pillows and blankets you so carefully built on the couch. It may be tempting to watch countless episodes of Shitts Creek, but a regular yoga practice will do much more good…. trust us. Every winter we are reminded of this saying: There’s no bad weather, just inappropriate clothing. There is a grain of truth in this saying, however insulting it may be when spoken with bare hands while shivering in the cold. When the weather changes, the right yoga attire can make the difference between uncontrollable shivering in savasana and blissful relaxation in the final pose. A Thursday night hatha class suddenly becomes more appealing when you put on a soft, cozy sweater, and going outside in the cold doesn’t seem so bad when you wear a stylish, comfortable vest. After all, there’s nothing better than wrapping yourself in a warm wool blanket at the beginning of your workout. Like a trained dog who behaves with the promise of a treat, you may appreciate the incentive to continue your weekly yoga class. Buying a monthly yoga class subscription or class package gives you a sense of responsibility when it comes to taking a weekly vinyasa class. If going to the studio seems unbearable, the thought of disappointing the teacher or suffering a financial loss is usually reason enough to get out. And if you go to class when you least want to, why not reward yourself with a treat on the way home? Of course, it’s much easier to stay motivated when you have classes you enjoy, with teachers who inspire you. In practice, this sounds simple enough, yet all too often we find ourselves half-heartedly participating in the activities we think we should attend, rather than the ones we want to attend. We try to overcome our discomfort by believing that persistence will eventually lead to a sincere commitment. I’m afraid not. Longevity comes from finding a style of yoga that truly satisfies and challenges you, so that you look forward to the next class and aren’t exhausted.
Usually it is the less glamorous habit, not the motivation, that is the reason for a long yoga practice. When one practices yoga regularly, there is no need for willpower or decision making; the repetition of actions gradually becomes automatic or habitual. While it may seem counterintuitive to structure a natural, organic practice, it will serve to support your practice when motivation is lacking. With the advent of online classes, it is no longer necessary to go to a yoga studio to get in shape. If you don’t want to leave your home, the choice of live virtual courses is just as great as that of in-person courses. With the advent of online classes, we can now watch yoga classes like a Netflix series and take the class without having to take off our winter pajamas. Even in our most unmotivated moments, lighting the candles and taking our favorite online course gets us back on track. You don’t have to be very motivated if all you have to do is push a button. Whether it’s buying a cozy knit, setting up a yoga room at home, or planning yoga classes for the coming months, these simple techniques will help you practice all winter season long. Written by Melissa Albarran of Yoga Alliance ProfessionalsIt’s winter, and many people go through a rough time when the weather gets cold and dark. The winter blues are a real thing, and they can hit people in all sorts of ways. Depression, anxiety, and a general lack of motivation are all reasons to feel down and out during the cold months. But, there are ways to help yourself snap out of the winter slump, and in turn making winter easier to bear.. Read more about winter workout motivation quotes and let us know what you think.
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