Winter well-being: 5 easy tips for busy people

Winter well-being: 5 easy tips for busy people

Fending off the winter blues can be a struggle for many. Keep reading for some easy winter well-being tips for busy people.

4 min read

ago

Did you know that Winter Blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects 2 million people in the UK and more than 12 million across Northern Europe? That's an astronomically high number.

If you suffer from winter depression, do not fear. There is something you can do about it.

1. Add Some Outdoor Movement to Your Daily Routine

Vitamin D levels tip toward the dangerously low end of the spectrum during wintertime, especially if you aren't eating a balanced diet with enough Vitamin D. The best way for your body to produce Vitamin D is by getting some direct sunshine on your arms, legs, eyes, and face for 15 to 20 minutes a day.

Suppose you live where the sunshine is weak or the days are cloudy. In that case, you will need to be outside for longer to get enough Vitamin D. That's why going for a walk outside at mid-day when the sun is strongest is a great way to protect yourself from Vitamin D deficiency and boost your mental health.

It will also get some endorphins flowing in your veins as you feel happy and exhilarated by being outside in the fresh air and sunshine. Your body will appreciate this daily dose of activity and sun, and it will show up as a boost in your winter well-being.

2. Stay Connected to and Keep Building Your Support Network

One thing that folks tend to do during wintertime is isolate themselves from everyone and everything they love. This might be because they have less energy to do the things they usually do in the warmer months. Or it could be that they feel it's too much trouble to put on all the winter gear and go out in the freezing weather to get anywhere.

Either way, quell this tendency instantly. When you are sad, depressed, or feeling the winter blues, the most important thing you can do is socialize with your loved ones, be it friends, family, or pets. Do not isolate yourself in your home and hide away.

Even if it's as simple as having tea with a friend or taking a quick walk around your neighbourhood with your sibling, it's important to stay socially active. This will ensure that winter depression doesn't have a chance to settle in your body and mind, even for a second.

3. Make a Point of Sticking to Your Basic Self-Care Activities

The basics matter, especially during wintertime. Yes, you want to be lazy and sit around bingeing on James Acasters comedy all day long.

Ensure you don't skip out on any of the basic self-care activities, as listed below:

  • Drink 7 to 8 glasses of water every day and have hot beverages

  • Get your 8 hours of sleep every night, without fail but don't oversleep

  • Eat a balanced diet that means lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains

  • Stay warm, but don't overheat or dry out your home too much

  • Don't forget about your hobbies keep working at them even through the winter

  • Every person has self-care activities they can't do without. Make sure you don't ignore these activities during the wintertime. When you are feeling the winter blues, you need to stay on top of these activities even more.

4. Ensure You Have Some Kind of Routine Every Day

When the days are short and the nights are long, it might get harder to have any kind of routine in your day. You might get up whenever you feel like it and go to sleep at whatever time you like because there is no clear indication from the sun when the day begins or ends.

The more you can keep to the same routine every day, the easier it will be for you to get all the essential things done in a day. Otherwise, you might dawdle, procrastinate, or even forget everything you need to get done. This is detrimental to your mental health and your finances if you procrastinate on paid work, especially if you work from home, as many do nowadays.

5. If You Need Help, Seek It Out: Don't Isolate Yourself

It's easy to say that you need to seek help if you feel like it. But what if you aren't sure if you are depressed or just in a funk?

Well, why do you need to figure this out yourself? The professionals can help you with thatthat's what they are there for.

So as soon as you feel something feels off about your mood and general attitude towards life, it's time to contact a mental health professional and have a conversation with them.

It might be as easy as getting a suggestion from them to buy some SAD lamps for light therapy. But you won't know unless you visit them directly.

Get Your Winter Well-Being on Point This Upcoming Season

There you have itfive tips you can use to get your winter well-being to an even keel again. This doesn't mean that every day will be perfect if you apply these tips. You might still have days when you feel grumpy and annoyed with the world.

But at least you will have more up days than down ones. Interested in signing up for a bank that can help reduce your impact on the planet and also help reduce your money administration worries? Sign up for bunq today.

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What's bunq?

We're not just a bank; we're a lifestyle choice for those who crave freedom, flexibility, and financial control on the go.

What's bunq?

We're not just a bank; we're a lifestyle choice for those who crave freedom, flexibility, and financial control on the go.

What's bunq?

We're not just a bank; we're a lifestyle choice for those who crave freedom, flexibility, and financial control on the go.

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