Winter comes with its fair share of time spent indoors, especially now. Beat the seasonal blues by making the most of your downtime at home!

Don’t overstimulate

First, it’s important to not overdo it. With endless information at our fingertips, it’s easy to feel bad about taking downtime to begin with. If you feel like you need to truly rest, take a nap! After all, the benefits are endless—increased alertness, improved mood, and decreased fatigue.

Be social

Staying connected to loved ones is one of the best ways to stimulate your mental health, and these days, there are countless ways to do so from afar. Schedule a virtual coffee or happy hour, start or join a book club, schedule a watch party for a new movie, or simply hop on a call with a close friend.

Start a new hobby

Think of activities you loved as a kid—painting, knitting, or embroidery, for instance—and incorporate them back into your life. Or, if you want to start anew, there’s no better time than the present. Make your hobby more tangible by setting small and large goals to complete by the end of the year.

Break away from your routine

Research shows there are countless benefits to creating a routine for yourself, but breaking your routine can have a positive effect on your life as well. It can welcome more creative spark into your life and give your brain a wake-up call.

Unplug

Take it one step further than simply turning your phone on silent—put it in another room or turn it off altogether. Even if it’s for 30 minutes, taking the time to break away from notifications and pings will give you some much-needed you time.