The temperature is dropping and before you know it, it will be dark. It takes more effort to get out of bed in the morning and even more effort to exercise after work at night in the dark. Winter is coming. For many people reason enough to crawl under a blanket on the couch and do little more. We call this a winter dip.
Outside
Many people will recognize it, the winter dip. Some are not quite in their mood, others are really depressed. Fortunately for me the former is true, but not feeling well is always annoying. When it’s dark and cold outside, you might not do as much and you have to depend on yourself a little more. There are just fewer fun things to do so you have to hang the garlands yourself. Dutch winters generally force you to sit inside a lot. Of course, there are also beautiful sunny days when you do go outside. Walking through the woods or strolling through a city is lovely. Or sitting around a campfire drinking hot chocolate with whipped cream. Still, it’s not my favorite season. I prefer to be outside a lot and recharge by vitamin D from the sun, not by a pill from a jar. Just give me a climate where you don’t need a winter coat.
Flipflops in January
Since about six years ago, that’s why I always go to a warm, preferably tropical, destination in the winter. Where you can go through life on your flip flops without freezing your toes off. The first time I went far away in winter I went on a tour of South Africa. When I do it, I do it right. Then I decided to seek the sun in winter every year from now on. That avoids having months of bad weather. Until about October it is fine in the Netherlands, and from March on I am more positive, so in between those months a tropical trip is really recommended.
On workstation in winter
Now I’m just telling you that I love going to warm destinations, but in 2020 I went to Stockholm in February. That doesn’t exactly fit the tropical theme, but the reason I went there has everything to do with working from abroad. After all, that was my second workation. I really wanted to go to Sweden, and especially Stockholm, but actually thought that was too cold and a waste to do as a summer vacation, because then I don’t think it would be warm enough there. So then the idea arose to go there as a workation, best of both worlds. I took 2 days off and the rest of the week I just worked. That way I could still go to Sweden, but not at the expense of my vacation days. I would rather use those for my tropical faraway trip, where there is often quite a bit of time difference. When I go far away, I generally want to be completely offline and not work part-time. Also because with time difference it is a bit more difficult.
Remote working from abroad
Last year the summer in the Netherlands was very disappointing, which made me much more eager to go to the sun. It already flew at me in October to sit for months more in the cold. And so the plan was born to spend the winter in Spain. But I didn’t think 2 weeks was enough, I wanted a long period of work from abroad. I felt like a granny who was going to spend the winter in Benidorm, and my friends often made that joke. But hey, I’m going to the sun. Employers are offering more and more freedom and flexibility, so even if you are employed, this is possible. More is often possible than you think. So if you would like to work remotely this winter and thus avoid your winter dip, raise this with your employer. It is not only in your interest that you get through the winter with positive energy. Employers benefit from happy employees, and no absenteeism, so express your needs to your supervisor. If you work for yourself, of course, the decision is yours alone. After all, you get to set your own ground rules. But maybe you’ve never given much thought to working from another place for a while. Perhaps the remote work adventure is now starting to itch more and more and you’re curious if it’s for you. There’s only one way to find out. Give it a try! Pick a nice destination, do some reading and live towards your work station. Read here 5 tips for a great destination in winter.
Tip against the dip
Hanging up the garlands yourself is a terrible cliché, but true. At 10 degrees, rain and cold I also prefer to lose myself completely in self-pity, with a cup of tea and 2 bars of chocolate under my blanket on the couch, but no one is coming to rescue you from your winter dip. So get your laptop out and find a nice destination to cheer yourself up. Not only the trip itself, but also the anticipation gives me a boost. In no time, I’ll have some positive energy and no more winter blues. Would you like to go on a workout with your team? Check out the possibilities for company work outs here.
