With the 2016 New Year upon us, many of us are thinking of ways to get healthier, be a better person, and achieve all those New Year’s Resolutions. For me, after the Holidays are over and the hustle and bustle has left, all the family has gone home, the decorations come down and I settle back into work, I can’t help but feel a bit…well, blue! I’m sure I’m not the only one. So, I started thinking what could a 911 dispatcher do to combat the “winter blues”? Here are a few ideas to motivate, inspire and kick “old man winter’s” butt into spring time:

• Get outside/exercise – I’m sure you’re thinking, well that’s easy. But with snow, rain, wind and for those of us who don’t live in FL or CA, this is actually a difficult thing to do. So, I’m a huge advocate of using your environment. Here in CO, we are fortunate to have the Rocky Mountains literally in our backyard, which means, skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, sledding and more. What is near-by for you? Go for a walk, grab a friend and get OUTSIDE!
• Eat smart – yeah, yeah, yeah! I know, you’ve heard it everywhere! But try this, replacing just one part of a meal you normally enjoy for a healthy alternative. Say, you enjoy a turkey sandwich with chips for lunch. Try swapping out the chips for an apple or carrots and hummus. You might be surprised at how swapping out and creating new combos can be fun and cure the boredom of healthy eating.
• Plan a vacation – Oh, this one is probably my favorite! Who doesn’t like a vacation? Or even a weekend trip? I know I do! There are several studies that show that planning things like vacations can boost your mood and give you something to look forward to. All of which sound pretty good now that we are in the heart of winter! Aloha Hawaii!!
• Pump up some tunes – Yup! Get that play list tuned up. A new year means a new playlist of fav’s! Maybe create two. One for those days you just can’t get going and another for the days when you’re needing a bit of a slap in the face. I like mixing some country with some pop and adding some classics like Madonna! Oh, yeah!
• De-Clutter – This is probably one of my most favorite things to do and I forget about it during the winter when I’m in full “nest mode”. Holidays are over, get those decorations down, do a little organizing of that paper pile in the corner. You’ll be surprised at how de-cluttering can give you a fresh outlook on a space.

And there you have it! I’m sure there are other ways that you can beat those winter blues. But, this seems like a good starting point to me. After all, I did already commit to losing weight and getting healthier which pretty much means my schedule is almost full for 2016.