6 ways to stay on track—emotionally and physically—this winter
Shorter sunshine hours and hectic days don’t mean you have to forgo your healthy routines.
Jan, 2026
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As winter rolls in, so do colder temperatures, overcast skies, and earlier evenings. It may be tempting to jump off the healthy-eating bandwagon or to let your regular workouts slide during this time, especially around the holidays. But with a little planning and goal setting, you can make your regular schedule work right up until spring.
Here’s how to stay motivated, focused and emotionally spry, even when the winter doldrums try to get in the way.
Written byOlivia DeLong.
Medically reviewed byJoanne Perron, MD.
Sources: American Psychological Association. Frequently Monitoring Progress Toward Goals Increases Chance of Success. October 28 + 8
- American Psychological Association. Frequently Monitoring Progress Toward Goals Increases Chance of Success. October 28, 2015.
- Matthew Solan. Get SMART about your goals to stay focused and on track at any age. Harvard Health Publishing. September 1, 2017.
- Mayo Clinic. Setting SMART Goals for Success. December 31, 2020.
- American Psychological Association. Making your New Year’s resolution stick. November 10, 2019.
- American Psychological Association. Harnessing willpower to meet goals. December 9, 2019.
- Berkley Lab. Irregular Exercise Pattern May Add Pounds. February 1, 2008.
- P Williams. Asymmetric weight gain and loss from increasing and decreasing exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008;40(2):296-302.
- Mayo Clinic. Generalized Anxiety Disorder. October 13, 2017. Accessed June 3, 2021.
- A Mercer, E Warson, J Zhao. Visual journaling: An intervention to influence stress, anxiety and affect levels in medical students. The Arts in Psychotherapy. April 2010.
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