10 Fun Ways To Beat The Winter Blues
1. Keep Active
A daily walk in the middle of the day could be as helpful as light treatment for coping with the winter blues. Read more about walking to get fit.
2. Get Outside
Go outdoors in natural daylight as much as possible, especially at midday and on brighter days. Inside your home, choose pale colours that reflect light from outside, and sit near windows whenever you can.
3. Keep Warm
Being cold may make you feel more depressed, so staying warm may reduce the winter blues.Keep warm with hot drinks and hot food. Wear warm clothes and shoes, and aim to keep your home between 18C and 21C (or 64F and 70F degrees).
4. Eat Healthily
A healthy diet will boost your mood, give you more energy and stop you putting on weight over winter. Balance your craving for carbohydrates, such as pasta and potatoes, with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.
5. See The Light
Some people find light therapy effective for seasonal depression. One way to get light therapy at home in winter is to sit in front of a light box for 30 minutes to an hour each day. Light boxes give out very bright light at least 10 times stronger than ordinary home and office lighting.
6. Take Up A New Hobby
Keeping your mind active with a new interest seems to ward off the blues. It could be anything, such as playing bridge, singing, knitting, joining a gym, keeping a journal, or writing a blog. The important thing is that you have something to look forward to and concentrate on.
7. See Your Friends And Family
It’s been shown that socializing is good for your mental health and helps ward off the winter blues. Make an effort to keep in touch with people you care about and accept any invitations you get to social events, even if you only go for a little while.
8. Practice Meditation
There are many excellent reasons to meditate and overcoming winter blues is one of them.
9. Plan Something to Look Forward To
Perhaps the easiest and most effective way to lift yourself out of your funk is to plan something to look forward to.Call an old friend for lunch, host a Super Bowl party, or a plan a weekend getaway.If you’ve always wanted to try a particular hobby, now is an excellent time to get started.
10. Express Gratitude
Being grateful reduces the risk of depression. Expressing gratitude creates a surge of feel-good brain chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin.
