5 Tips to Help You Kick the Winter Blues

5 Tips to Help You Kick the Winter Blues - FITS®

February 06, 2020

With the holidays behind us and a seemingly never-ending stretch of winter weeks ahead, you might notice you’ve started feeling a little down. Often dubbed the “winter blues,” it’s common to experience feelings of depression and unhappiness when days get shorter and temperatures drop. While more severe cases may be diagnosed as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and require professional treatment, many instances of the winter blues can be improved with small tweaks and habit changes.

If you find yourself struggling with your moods this winter, try one of these five tips:

Exercise

Finding your gym motivation is certainly harder when it’s dark and cold, but sticking to an exercise routine is the best way to stimulate your brain. Even making time for a short walk every day can help release helpful mood stabilizing neurotransmitters, like dopamine and endorphins.

Minimize sugar and simple carbohydrates

While you don’t need to change your diet drastically to handle the winter blues, limiting your sugar intake and focusing on consuming more complex carbohydrates can help you avoid blood sugar spikes and keep your energy up. Focus on adding more foods like green leafy vegetables, lentils, sweet potatoes and whole grains into your daily rotation.

Find the light

Whether it’s going for a walk during your lunch break, spending more time in rooms that have adequate natural light or trying light therapy, research shows that exposing your body to more sunlight — synthetic or otherwise — can boost your mood and fight off low-energy feelings. That means when extra sunny days do happen, don’t waste them; instead, bundle up and get outdoors.

Make winter-specific plans

Even if winter gets you down, you can still find joy in embracing certain winter-specific traditions. Plan a ski weekend with friends, go ice skating, invite people over for a hot chocolate tasting or host a chili cook-off. Spending quality time with your friends and loved ones can have serious positive effects on your mood.

Embrace the coziness

If being stuck inside when it’s cold and dark has you down, find a way to embrace the inherent coziness of winter. Treat yourself to a new pair of slippers and create a relaxing evening routine. Take a note from the Danish and practice a little hygge.

Of course, if your winter blues start to feel like more than just being a little down, check in with your doctor immediately. You deserve to feel your best in all seasons.

Ready to get cozy? We can help.

Sock Sizing

The Perfect Fit Starts With the Right Size.

Your sock size shouldn’t be a guessing game. Our socks range from small to double XL, but the best way to know the perfect fit for you is to match your shoe size to the chart on the left. That way, you’ll know the size you select will give you the fit and feel you expect.

Between sizes? Go with your gut, but rest assured that your socks will still fit great. If you receive your order and find yourself wishing you’d gone up or down a size, just let us know. We’ll happily send you replacements for your preferred size.

Concerned about laundry mix-ups? All FITS® socks are coordinated by color and size, based on the colors you see on the size chart. So, you won’t have to worry about mixing up your sizes with the other FITS® wearers in your home. (But stray socks mysteriously going missing in the dryer? Unfortunately, we can’t help with that.)

The Light Hiker is perfect for everything from big adventures to everyday wear.

How Do You Determine Sock Size?

Sock sizes are typically measured in inches, not by your shoe size. So, a sock size 6-8 will comfortably fit someone whose feet are between six and eight inches long. However, at FITS®, we make it easy for you to choose the ideal sock size without having to measure your foot. Simply use our sock size conversion chart based on your shoe size to select the right fit for you.

How Do You Measure Your Foot for Socks?

To measure your foot for socks, measure the length from the heel of your foot to the tip of your longest toe. The measurement in inches correlates to your sock size. For example, if your foot is 10 inches long, a sock size 9-11 should fit you comfortably. At FITS®, you can skip this step and find your sock size based on your shoe size using our conversion chart.

What Is the Sock Size Conversion?

The sock size conversion refers to sock size compared to shoe size. While all companies may vary slightly on which size socks to purchase based on your shoe size, you can always measure your foot to find the right fit for you.

What is Sock Size to Shoe Size?

Because sock sizes are determined by the length of your foot in inches vs. your shoe size, shoe and sock sizes differ. The FITS® sock size to shoe size conversion is as follows:

FITS® Sock Size Small = Shoe Size 3½ - 5½ men’s and 5 - 7 women’s
FITS® Sock Size Medium = Shoe Size 6 - 8 men’s and 7½ - 9½ women’s
FITS® Sock Size Large = Shoe Size 8½ - 10 men’s and 10 - 11½ women’s
FITS® Sock Size Extra Large = Shoe Size 10½ - 12½ men’s and 12 - 14 women’s
FITS® Sock Size Double-Extra Large = 13 - 15½ men’s and 14½ - 16½ women’s

Knowing this makes it easy to choose the ideal sock size based on your shoe size without measuring your foot.

What Age is Sock Size 9-12?

Sock sizes typically don’t correlate with age. For kids, age can be a general indicator of what size sock they’ll need, but everyone is different. An adult sock size 9-12 fits anyone whose feet are approximately nine to twelve inches long. For kids’ sock sizing, check with the company to find exact details to ensure your little one gets the perfect fit.

Got more questions about finding the perfect sock size for you? Let’s talk.

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