With shorter days and colder temperatures keeping us indoors, the winter months can make it tough to stay motivated. But it doesn’t have to be that way! In fact, these few months are a good time to change up your routine, set some goals and take the time to focus on your health.

Here are some tips to stay motivated and keep consistent productivity throughout winter:

Move around

One of the best ways to stay productive at the office is to move! Getting that blood pumping throughout the day can help boost your energy. It can be as simple as walking over to talk with a colleague instead of sending an email or taking short breaks to stretch. Outside of work, try to take a walk or hit the gym. Our employees can take advantage of the on-site gym at our corporate office to stay active or use our discounted membership program to find a gym near them. 

Keep yourself healthy

There’s no doubt that more people get sick during the winter months. Sometimes, it can take a while to recover, which makes it hard to catch up after missing work! Be sure to wash your hands and sanitize your surroundings to help fight germs. Mental and physical health both play a role in staying healthy, too. For your physical health, eat healthy, stay active and if you are feeling under the weather, don’t wait to see a nurse! We offer an on-site nurse on Mondays and paid sick time for our employees. For your mental health, rest and do activities that recharge you rather than drain you. 

Be social

Social time is a great way to break up your day and get those short breaks you need to stay productive. Chat with coworkers over coffee in the morning or take a few minutes throughout the day to go check-in. Rather than eating lunch[MOU6]  alone, ask a coworker to join you in the break room or go out to grab a bite. Connecting with teammates is a way to prevent feeling lonely or isolated. If your lunchtime is tight, maybe consider doing team events outside of work.

At Advance Financial, we encourage employee bonding in a variety of ways. We have intramural sports teams and a company-wide talent show.  We even have monthly “Newbie Nights” with activities that have included visits to TopGolf, the Tennessee Aquarium, Battlezone Park and the Pigeon Forge Show as well as baseball games at The Ballpark in Jackson and First Horizon Park in Nashville. These events help our employees from all over the state to get to know each other and build friendships outside of work. Adding new experiences – and new friendships – to your daily life can help make you happier and increase productivity.

Taking these tips and applying them to your life can help you stay productive all winter long. It doesn’t have to be all at once, either! If you want to start with a few little steps to help increase productivity, definitely do so. See what works for you and what makes you feel motivated. Before you know it, we’ll be swinging into spring!