If you’ve noticed your focus fading or your passion feeling just out of reach this winter, you are not alone. The first few months of the year can feel like an uphill climb at work—even the most driven professionals aren’t immune to short days, long to-do lists and dips in motivation.
Fortunately, the right strategies can help you improve your well-being and regain momentum. Below, 20 members of Forbes Coaches Council outline effective steps to take to beat the “winter blues” at work, sharing actionable approaches that can help you stay engaged and energized all season long.
1. Make Gratitude A Habit
A simple, science-backed way to reenergize and beat the blues is to make gratitude a habit. It releases mood-boosting neurochemicals, builds resilience and improves well-being—in just minutes a day! Try listing three things you’re thankful for each day or expressing your appreciation to others. These tiny, yet meaningful, acts can foster a positive mindset, improve health and elevate performance. – Jamie Lewis Smith, Pixel Leadership Group, LLC
2. Stay Active And Pursue Hobbies
Stay active with regular exercise, practice mindfulness, or pursue hobbies to spark passion. Connect with colleagues and friends to foster community. These habits support well-being and will help you maintain productivity throughout the winter season. – Rukayat Alabi, RKY Careers
3. Set Compelling Goals That Keep You Going
To combat the winter blues and sustain peak performance, set a compelling goal that genuinely excites you. I’ve seen firsthand how a well-defined, meaningful objective can reignite motivation and sharpen focus. The key is choosing a goal that challenges and inspires you, providing a positive anchor even in the dreariest month. This proactive approach ensures you stay engaged and focused all year. – Alba Contreras Rodriguez, FONS LLC
4. Take Care Of Your Body And Mind
Remember that you’re human. The turnover of serotonin is lowest in the winter months, meaning seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is real. Early sunlight, frequent movement and vitamin D supplementation can counteract these feelings. – Andrew Deutscher, Regenerate
5. Help Someone Else
You can access your passion, your expertise and your humanity when you reach out to support others. Helping others is correlated with increased positivity, reduced stress and depression and even better physical health. Offer to mentor a new or junior colleague, work at your local food bank, or just hold the office door for someone and smile. Little moves can go a long way! – Kathleen Woodhouse, Nova Leadership
6. Repeat An Inspiring Mantra
Every time a negative thought (fear, scarcity, overwhelm, frustration) enters your mind, replace it with a saying that motivates and inspires you. I choose, “I will not settle for anything but a big, amazing life.” When times are tough, you may need to say this 100 times a day to rewire for positivity, but it will change your perspective on how you view both big and little challenges. – Laura DeCarlo, Career Directors International
7. Find Small Things To Look Forward To
While a vacation is always nice to have, a more practical approach is to find small things to look forward to, whether it be meeting mini-goals, social gatherings, the completion of a big initiative or a monthly massage or spa day. By having something positive in your view, it will be easier to stay in a happier, more well-rounded place, which can pay dividends to your overall well-being and success. – Tami Chapek, WeInspireWe
8. Break One Routine Daily
Embrace your inner rebel—deliberately break one professional routine daily. Skip a meeting, work from an unexpected location or tackle a task backward. This psychological pattern interruption jolts your brain out of winter’s monotony, sparks creative problem-solving and reignites your natural curiosity and drive by challenging your own status quo. – Louis Carter, Best Practice Institute
9. Get Outside; Tend To Your Thoughts; Don’t Force Passion
Getting outside can naturally elevate one’s mood. Equally important is tending to your thoughts. What you’re thinking about and how you’re thinking about it translates into emotion(s). The feeling of urgency is often present with the feeling of passion, which can drain you. Don’t force passion. Try to feel consistently content for a while, and let the passion build naturally from there. – Christine Meyer, Christine Meyer Coaching
10. Invite Novelty Into Your Life
A great way to chase the blues away is to invite novelty into your life. This is less about resolutions and more about cultivating delight. When we expose ourselves to new activities, ideas or perspectives, we spark energy and “heat.” A book, a class or a project can shift your mood and expand your horizons, if only figuratively. This week, I’m starting salsa lessons—what could your next move be? – Joanne Heyman, Heyman Partners
11. Stay Connected With Others
Stay connected with friends and family, and promote healthy activities. Replace TV or social media time with the outdoors for exposure to sunlight and fresh air. Try to maintain regular sleep and activity habits to boost your mood. Get out of your head and find a way to give back as a mentor at work or in your community. Being mindful of your mood and intentional actions can combat those dark days of winter. – Susan Murray, Clearpath Leadership
12. Up Your ‘Hygge’ Game
Scandinavians have combated their cold, dark winters for centuries through a philosophy of making life cozier. Light candles, break out the blankets, enjoy warm beverages and comfort foods, use soft lighting and intentionally connect to nature. By thoughtfully creating a sense of warm comfort, you can often transform the winter blues into a period of bright creativity. – Amanda Fischer, Amanda Mae Fischer, Executive Leadership & Career Coach
13. Create A Weekly A ‘Passion Project Power Hour’
One could create a personal “passion project power hour” every week. Dedicate one hour to exploring or experimenting with something you are curious about that is unrelated to your day-to-day work: a skill, a hobby or even brainstorming a wild idea. This time fuels creativity, adds excitement to your routine and reconnects you with what sparks joy. Think of it as a mental vacation that allows new synapses to form. – Thomas Lim, Centre for Systems Leadership (SIM Academy)
14. Prioritize Daylight Exposure And Movement
Incorporate outdoor activities, mindfulness or journaling into daily routines. Focus on small goals and celebrate achievements to reignite passion and psychological well-being. Seek professional help if the blues feel insurmountable on your own. – Dr. Ari McGrew, Tactful Disruption®
15. Focus On Goal-Oriented Planning
Leaders can beat the winter blues by focusing on goal-oriented planning. Inspire teams with clear, exciting objectives for the year. Host vision-setting sessions to align goals and spark motivation. Break large goals into manageable steps to create a sense of progress. Celebrate small wins along the way, and encourage personal development plans to foster growth and positivity. – Stephan Lendi, Newbury Media & Communications GmbH
16. Embrace Micro-Adventures
Professionals can beat the winter blues by embracing micro-adventures—small, spontaneous activities that break the routine, like a lunch walk in nature or learning a new skill. These bursts of novelty recharge creativity, boost mood and refresh focus, helping reignite passion and maintain well-being throughout the early months of the year. – Dr. Adil Dalal, Pinnacle Process Solutions, Intl., LLC
17. Remind Yourself Of Your Impact On Others
Remind yourself of the impact and importance of your work. It can be easy to get lost in the day-to-day work or the overwhelming yet-to-be-accomplished list. Remembering your impact and how you have influenced and improved people’s lives matters; remind yourself of (or start collecting) these quantitative results. – Ed Brzychcy, Lead from the Front
18. Set Small, Achievable Goals
Set small, achievable goals tied to personal or professional growth, like learning a new skill or revisiting a passion project, to create purpose and boost motivation. Combine this with regular physical activity and social interactions to elevate your mood, maintain focus and support psychological well-being during the winter months. – Maryam Daryabegi, Innovation Bazar
19. Reflect On Your Personal And Professional Values
The key to sustaining psychological well-being and maintaining passion is reconnecting with the “why” behind what you do. Take time to reflect on your personal and professional values. This reflection helps reignite intrinsic motivation and shifts focus away from external pressures. – Veronica Angela, CONQUER EDGE, LLC
20. Start Working On Your Vision
I believe a good way to beat the winter blues is to have clear goals for the year. Design your plan, create and focus on milestones, and start working on your vision. Seek out moments for meditation and mindfulness, cultivate positive thoughts and celebrate small wins. At the end of the day, it’s about enjoying both the ride and the journey! – Isabelita Castilho, Executive Power FZE
