Beating the Winter Blues

Winter brings cosiness, calmness, and festive fun. But it can also have a profound impact on our mood, and not always in a positive way. Presents, planning and preparation. Stressful sales. The annual distant family visits can be social battery drainers. Not to mention the cold weather and low mood to match. Just talking about it is overwhelming us!

Sometimes just a few hours of you time can turn a whole week around and provide a much-needed outlet of energy or a chance to relax and reset.

Find out what we suggest when it comes to engaging in you time and tackling the winter blues:

Move in a way that suits you

Exercise improves mood, stimulates sleep, and manages stress and anxiety. Moving in any way you find enjoyable and comfortable is necessary when it comes to releasing energy, boosting our immune system, and improving our outlook on life.

An effortless way to up your output is by increasing your NEAT.

Manage your time

Organisation is key to eliminating stress this time of year. Having a plan of action allows us to prioritise and process jobs more easily, as well as keeping track of things we have completed.

Doing this in the form of a daily journal or to-do list has been found to have profound effects on mental health – offering a space to process, reflect on, and mediate our daily pressures. Find out why journaling is more powerful than you might think.

Nourish the body

‘Your body is a temple’. Okay seriously though, what we put inside our bodies can have a much bigger impact than you might think. As festive treats fill the shelves, and we break bread amongst loved ones – be sure to make yourself aware of how different foods might make you feel!

Get to grips with the gut and learn how different foods can have long-term health effects.

Let yourself recharge

Having time to reset is just as important as staying active. Everyone is different – whether you enjoy settling into a comfy corner with a good book or getting a sweat on in a BODYCOMBAT™ class – remember to allow yourself some alone time to rehabilitate.

Resting in the form of sleep is one of the most fundamental pillars to our health. Read about the importance of sleep hygiene and how to improve it.

Sources: By Researching the Gut Microbiome, Hana Olof ’22 Seeks Ways to Strengthen Immune Systems - Hollins | Emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing | Advances in Psychiatric Treatment | Cambridge Core | Sleep problems - Every Mind Matters - NHS (www.nhs.uk)