Hands up if your mental health takes a battering as the seasons change? There are many reasons why we can feel glum in Winter, like disconnection from socialising, not being able to access regular exercise routines and shorter daylight hours which can lead to less feel good sunshine that disrupt your body’s internal clock.

The good news is we can be pro active and add some good things into our week that make us feel better. Yay!

Make time for meal planning.

Winter is when we love to indulge in all the comfort food, which is a good thing…until it isn’t. Meal planning is a proven way to stay on track with food and diet goals, it also helps us with having a balanced diet and can just make us feel so much more organised. High five to that!

Take up exercise that you can do indoors.

Exercise is so good for mental health, the endorphins are pumping, it can help regulate hormones and it just makes us feel good. You don’t need to skip exercise for the season, it’s just time to mix it up and try something new. We have great tips for indoor exercise ideas HERE.

Make the most of any daylight!

Sunlight increases the hormone serotonin, if we have low serotonin levels we can get sad and anxious. Getting some sunlight on your eyeballs and skin wakes us up and helps raise serotonin and vitamin D levels. Take a walk, open the curtains, move your work outside (if possible), meet friends in the park, go for a short bike ride or take a drive and let the warm sunshine and light in.

Don’t disconnect.

Often our catch-ups with friends can be around social and sport activities we normally do outside, and when the weather turns cold, dark and wet we retreat to the cosiness of inside. This is fine, but we all need connection. So, jump on a group zoom call, pick up the phone, organise a dinner or even a weekend getaway.

Plan it out.

If you’re feeling a little low it can be easy to hide from the world, but getting out and about gives us a purpose and sense of achievement. Grab your diary and book in your regular appointments. Health checks, haircuts, tan top ups, social outings and whatever else you normally schedule that are a part of you feeling your best.