The winter months can bring about a lot of stress. Christmas parties, shopping, events—pretty much everything! You’re desperately looking forward to the new year and a fresh start, ready to take on 2018 like someone on a mission. Yet even the prospects of a new year might not be enough to shake winter blues.

It’s not too early to start daydreaming about your summer plans. Or even a winter vacation! Where to go, what to do, who to see, and most importantly, how to do it all. Sure, your bank account might be looking a little drained at the moment, but planning out your summer activities can not only save you time in the future but also help you shake winter blues. After all, who doesn’t like the prospect of bikinis and bellinis? 

3 Ways to Shake Winter Blues and Stay Fierce

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Take a gorgeous vacation

Make the most of whatever time you might have off during the summer to see something different. Whatever your ideal holiday might be, from backpacking through distant lands, to finding private house rentals for you to kick back and relax in, the world has innumerable possibilities for you to reward yourself for a year of hard work. Taking advantage of cheap vacation deals early means you spend less on the booking and spend more upon arrival. Therefore, you can live as lavishly as you want while you forget the real world for just a couple of weeks.

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Start a new project

Even if you can’t afford to go anywhere over the summer, that doesn’t mean you have to sit around the house all day doing nothing. The freedom of the season offers you the opportunity to keep yourself busy by choosing something to work on. There are so many projects you can undertake over the summer months! You’ll be struggling to find any time at all to be bored. From big to little, individual to working together, there is no limit of things to do to keep you busy. Even if you aren’t sunning yourself on a beach.

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See all of your favourite people

Life getting in the way will happen to everybody at some point. Everyone is growing up, starting families, getting promotions—and with that, it becomes difficult to find the time. Take the opportunity to see as many people as you can during summer! The sun is shining, rain clouds (mostly) disappear, and everyone just seems to be happier. 

The social aspect of summer allows you to reconnect and catch up with people you might not have seen for a while. Even if it’s just for a few hours here and there. You might just realize how much you’ve missed them! And it will drive both of you to make more of an effort in the future.

No doubt, winter can be a dull time where you can’t afford to go out. Of course, the weather doesn’t always permit that to happen. What’s essential to keep in mind, is that for every grey cloud, the shining sun of summer is just around the corner! Ultimately, that is definitely a cause for celebration.