Coach Hilary here to help you figure out some easy ways to combat that feeling we sometimes get when the leaves fall off the trees, and the sun sets way too early, and we start unpacking our winter gear in preparation for those hibernation months of winter…
But first, why am I talking about beating the winter blues?
Depending on where you live—winter will either be something you dread or something that passes you by without noticing. In the good old prairies of Saskatchewan, it is can be cold, cold, cold! BRRR which can tempt a gal like me to stay inside and off the ice!
Sometimes even people who live in the warmer places experience cyclical changes that affect their moods and disposition.
The extreme form of this is called SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder. SAD is a cyclical form of depression caused by changes in the circadian rhythm—a 24-hour cycle that regulates biochemical processes in the body.
For some people, as the hours of sunlight decrease in the fall and winter, their circadian rhythm cycle can become disrupted. The hormone melatonin and the neurotransmitter serotonin suddenly drop in the winter and this can cause lethargy, depression, irritability and weight gain.
So what are my top 10 tips for beating the winter blues?
1. Take Vitamin D3:
Vitamin D3 is not actually a vitamin, it’s a steroid hormone manufactured in the body from direct exposure to sunlight. Because sunlight is weak or scarce in some winters, be sure to buy Vitamin D3 supplements to make up for lost sunlight!
2. Invest in a high-quality light therapy sun lamp:
Light therapy sunlamps are often household necessities in places that suffer from lack of winter sunshine like the prairies. Be sure to invest in a high-quality sun lamp that you can use throughout the day for 15 minutes at a time. I personally purchased a HappyLight on Amazon, but you can pick them up at places like Costco too!
3. Hibernate happily:
Sometimes it’s best to surrender to winter and take up hibernation like a bear. You can watch movies you’ve always wanted to see or curl up on the couch with a good book you’ve been meaning to read or get all cozy by the fire in your favorite woolly socks.
4. Eat warm, nourishing comfort foods:
Use this time to make those rich bean soups and hearty squash and root vegetable stews that you’ve been wanting to try. It will nourish and warm your body and spirit.
5. Watch comedy shows and improv that make you laugh out loud:
Laughter is the best medicine. Download your favorite comedian and watch the show till you have a stitch in your side from laughing or put on your sexy winter boots and invite a friend out to see your favorite comedian live.
6. Layer up and go for walks outside in the cold, fresh air:
Just because it’s cold outside, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be outside. If you layer up with woolly hats, down jackets and long johns, even the snow and sleet will be your friend. Take a stroll on a freezing wintery evening and return home refreshed. If being out on the ice is a little risky for you – then layer up and grab your lawn chair for a sit out in the sun – the cool, fresh air will still do you good!
7. Spend time soaking it up in a hot tub or sauna:
There is nothing that raises your body heat quite like soaking it up in a hot tub or sauna. Just do it weekly throughout winter! You can’t go wrong.
8. Find a movement class that makes you sweat:
Getting your body moving floods you with feel-good endorphins. So find a high energy dance class like Zumba or African Dance or even belly dancing and get your groove on. Then treat yourself to a cup of hot chocolate afterwards with your new dance buddy.
9. Buy some great looking winter outfits so you don’t feel frumpy:
Take all your old, moth-eaten sweaters to Goodwill and buy yourself some sexy, head-turning winter gear like leggings and boots so you can go out and about in style.
10. Spend time with friends and family:
The benefits of spending some quality time with others (even if its over zoom during some pandemic times) can be super, duper beneficial for our mental health. Social isolation is linked to many mental health conditions and may even catalyze cellular-level changes that promote chronic inflammation and suppress immunity! Being lonely for instance can have the same type of effects on your body as smoking 15 cigarettes a day! Keeping social, in the cold winter months especially, can lower stress levels, encourage positive healthier behaviours and improve your mood!
How will I know which of these tips will work for me?
Good question!
Start by picking your top three that just jump out at you. Those are the ones that obviously appeal to you the most—so that’s a great place to start!
Next, schedule a time on your calendar to do them starting tomorrow.
So if you picked hot tub, movement class and nourishing soup, then go out today and buy the ingredients for the soup to cook tomorrow and find a movement class you can start next week and treat yourself to your local hot tub spa on the weekend!
Once you’ve done these three-keep doing them if you enjoy them or ditch them if you don’t! And then start adding more from your top 10 list until pretty soon winter will be over, and you will yearn to do it all over again!
What do I do now?
If you are one of those people prone to the winter blues and you want to make sure not to fall into that rut this year, then schedule a time to chat with me about more ways to make your winter months not only bearable but pleasurable too!
I can help you come up with a plan that feels good in your bones and I can help you implement it and follow through so that you can beat the winter blues this year for real!
To your health!
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