Ever get to winter and wonder why you feel so down?
Autumn arrives and you look forward to a bit of cooler weather, hot chocolates and cosy evenings but that feeling of joy soon dissipates when you are faced with a constant grey sky, dark mornings and cold nights.
Then as spring slowly begins to appear, you notice new energy within yourself, a sense of freedom and excitement about the longer days, and socialising in the warmer weather.
The ability to leave your house without 7 layers of clothing on definitely provides a sense of relief.
Summer comes and goes and those familiar feelings arise as we head back into Autumn but you are too wrapped up in day-to-day life to realise the yearly pattern forming.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is far more common than you may think.
Here are 5 top tips to get you through the winter blues:
Stay connected / emotional support
It can be so easy to become withdrawn from society because it's too cold to go out, but the best medicine for our mental health is staying connected to the people we love.
SAD lamps/ therapy lamps
Our brains are wired to wake up naturally to the daylight, so there is no wonder we struggle to get out of bed in the winter. These lamps are time adjusted so they slowly come on and tell our brains it's time to stop producing melatonin and time to wake up.
Boost your vitamins
We all know vitamins help to improve our systems, increase your fruit and veg intake or add some daily vitamins (especially VIT D) to your diet.
Take time out
Sounds obvious but when the days are short and we are busy, busy, busy; taking time for ourselves suddenly goes to the bottom of the priority list.
Get outside
Fresh air and natural light stimulates the natural production of Vitamin D, boosts our immune system, improves blood pressure and generally makes us feel better. So wrap up warm and get a good daily amount of fresh air.
If you do notice your mood becoming increasingly low, don't forget to reach out and book in for a free chat to see if one to one counselling can support your mental health during these low periods.