Winter Wellness

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"Winter is a season of recovery and preparation."

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We all get more sluggish during winter because as soon as the sun sets, even though it’s only 4 pm, our body and mind decide that it is time to do nothing. You wake up and it’s dark, you leave work and it’s dark. There is never enough sunlight to do anything.

 

For those of us who are trying to get out of the winter blues, here are some simple ideas to help!

 

Get out and exercise - this might seem like an obvious answer but it does help boost the brain’s production of serotonin, making you feel more productive! You only need to do it for 30 minutes and you will be feeling so much better.

 

Eat your way around the rainbow - making sure your body is full of all the vitamins it needs to cope with the lack of sun is easy by simply eating the rainbow.

● Squash and Pumpkins have a good source of vitamin A in them

● Kale, spinach, rocket, brussels sprouts and sprouting broccoli have a good amount of B vitamins, as well as vitamins C, E and K, iron, calcium and folate.

● Beans and pulses are packed with fibre.

 

Have some quiet time - Whether this be reading a book or writing in a journal or even meditating. The days may be shorter and feel more hectic, make sure you don’t forget to take some time for yourself.

 

Get a support system - This could be phoning a loved one or a friend once a day or every couple of days, or even joining a new group.

 

Start a new routine - this could be as simple as starting a new skin routine every morning or before you go to bed. To getting up that slightly bit earlier to make yourself breakfast that you normally forget to have. Or even ending the day with a relaxing soak in the tub or a hot shower.

 

Making the most of the sunlight - although the sun isn’t out for as long during the winter when it is, take 5 minutes to soak in the sunlight and feel it warm your skin. This will help your body clock!

 

Resist the urge to hibernate - Now this might seem like a hard thing to do because we all love to stay in our beds during winter but we do need to resist this urge as it messes with our sleep schedule. Sticking with a sleep schedule help your body fall into a routine, which will end up with you waking up with more energy.