Sometimes the treadmill of life gets all too much, especially in the winter when you get up for work in the dark and return home after dark. We feel we want to Hibernate, sleep longer, eat more and feel low on energy. This is the time more than any other time that exercise and getting out doors is most important.
1. Go for a Walk - Ensure that you go for a walk at the weekends and get some fresh air (even if it’s raining).
2. Take regular breaks - If you haven't seen the sun for a while make sure you have a break at lunchtime at work to get outside as soon as the sun comes out.
3. Take Supplements - For those rainy weeks that never seem to end its important that you get yourself a vitamin D supplement and find some natural light somewhere, you can purchase light boxes that you sit in front of twice a day for 30 to 40 minutes which are also a great help. Artificial light does not have the same effect.
4. Meditate - Meditation is also a must to switch off the negative stressful times even for just 15 minutes a day.
5. Get away - Book your holidays in mid-winter as this is the time of year most people start to slump, or go away for a long weekend "a change of scene is as good as a rest".
6. Catch up with friends – Be social don’t be a recluse. It’s not quite so easy to catch up with friends in the winter, as by the time you get home it’s too cold or too dark, or you feel too tired. Try meeting up with friends for a ‘Safari Dinner’ or meet them for Sunday Brunch at your local café, you will feel much better for it getting away from the mundane routine.
7. Do something Crafty – Start a new Hobby, be creative, do something with your hands. It’s not only therapeutic; you may find a hidden talent that you really enjoy.
8. Change something in your house – Re decorate or move the furniture around for a change of scene. Add some colour to counteract the Winter Blues.
9. Checkout the local ‘What’s on’ pages in your local paper – There may be some fun social gathering where you can meet some new friends, maybe a Quiz night or a fitness class, do something social rather than sitting in front of the T.V or computer screen all night.
10. Get the cards or the board games out – Plan a family fun night without computers, T.V or phones and play some old fashioned board games. Kids especially love this and it helps to reconnect and open up conversations that may not have happened with the electronic devises getting in the way.
Overall, be social, get outside and remember Summer will soon be here again.
Kymberley Carter-Paige