The alarm beeps and you drowsily open your eyelids. As you gain consciousness and note the all-too-early time, you realize that your toes are cold and the sun is absent in your normally bright window. Something is different today as your urge to go back to sleep is even stronger this morning. So you hit that snooze button twice more than usual, and as you doze off into oblivion, the world outside starts its own transition into dormant rest.

Winter is coming, and although people may follow mother nature and feel lifeless at times, there are actually tips to help keep themselves as rejuvenated as the springtime.

Tis the season to be eating: This doesn’t mean stock up on hot chocolate and marshmallows. Just like nature, it’s more healthy to eat foods that go with the season. The foods that are popular in the winter include pomegranates, kale, citrus fruits, potatoes, butternut squash, cabbage, onions, beets, and carrots. These are abundant during the cold, and because they become ripe in the winter, they have more nutritional value as well.

(Don’t) Knock your socks off: If you easily get cold feet when sleeping, wear a pair of clean socks to bed. In this manner, you can wake up without feeling freezing and want to crawl back under your covers. It’s scientifically proven that the cold can make people feel more drowsy.

Sleep Longer: No, I am not a hypocrite. This means that you should wind down from your day earlier instead of hitting that snooze button in the morning. As the sun sets earlier around 6 p.m., you should allow your circadian rhythm to do its work and relax as darkness falls. Turning off loud music and electronics and instead reading a book is an idea.

Please don’t take my sunshine away: Winter months can be dreary for many people, partially due to the lack of sunshine as well as isolation from friends during breaks. During these times, make sure to keep in touch with your friends and those who can be spiritually uplifting. Either that, or engage yourself in a favorite pastime. Although the sun is gone today, the sun will come out tomorrow.

As humans are non-hibernating animals, sometimes we might feel like we want to follow the crowd during the winter and sleep off our problems. But let’s appreciate this time that is given to us because in reality winter brings all sorts of winter magic during the festivities; sleeping would only let you miss out the action. So put on your brightest smiles and coats and if you hate the cold, at least you live in Texas where winter is only a label, instead of a reality.