Whether you are counting down the days until spring or relishing the cosy evenings, winter can often have a knock-on effect on our mood and wellbeing.
For some, they are harder hit in winter with the seasonal change contributing to seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of depression, and it’s women who seem to bear the brunt: SAD is diagnosed around three times more often in women than men.
Winter Wellness
To help ease the winter blues, we list several restorative habits to help boost your overall wellness. From getting outside in the morning light to finding small enjoyments throughout your day, these are expert-approved rituals to help make winter feel that little bit easier to love.
Eat Breakfast
Reduced daylight throughout winter can upset our circadian rhythm, the body’s internal clock that regulates sleep and wake cycles. Eating a good breakfast at a consistent time each morning can help reinforce your internal clock and support energy regulation. Nutritionists often suggest eating breakfast within 90 minutes of waking. Think a warm bowel of porridge on a cold morning – a little comfort to look forward to on those days when getting out of bed feels like a chore.
Morning Light
Morning daylight also helps to regulate our internal body clock, and so in winter, embracing the early morning light is particularly valuable. Even on cloudy mornings, natural light can help reinforce these rhythms and support better sleep and mood. If you can brave the thought, wrap up warm and take your hot morning beverage outside or enjoy a short walk after breakfast.
Check In
Don’t be afraid to get in touch with how you’re feeling emotionally. In a season when it’s tempting to try and distract ourselves from a low mood or rush to find a way out of it, learning to tune into how we feel – both physically and emotionally – can be surprisingly powerful when it comes to the darker months. This might mean noticing tension in your shoulders when stressed, recognising a heaviness in your body when you’re feeling low, or pausing to ask yourself what emotion you’re experiencing, rather than shrugging it off as a bad day.
Set aside five minutes a day to check in with yourself. Keep a mood journal, noting how you feel, any physical sensations, and what might have prompted them. Making this kind of check-in a regular winter ritual will help you to notice uncomfortable feelings without judging them or rushing to make them go away.
A Warm Soak
Research suggests that a warm bath or shower taken one to two hours before bed can help you to fall asleep faster, as warming the body encourages the drop in core temperature associated with sleep. Warming the feet, lower back and abdomen is also considered grounding and is a simple way to ease into the evening and give yourself permission to slow down.
The Little Things
Perspective matters, and how we see and expect winter can shape how to experience the colder months. A 2020 study of 238 people in Norway found that those with a more positive outlook on winter reported greater life satisfaction and more positive emotions.
Why not make it a daily ritual to find something to look forward to, helping shift the focus from what winter takes away to what it can offer. Instead of fighting the dark evenings, lean into them: swap bright overhead lights for warm orange or red bulbs, fairy lights or candles, to create a cosier atmosphere. Getting outside can be part of the ritual, too - starting with a brisk morning walk somewhere green to catch some daylight. If motivation is low, join a walking group or arrange a weekly stroll with a friend – a little fresh air and good company can go a long way towards lifting your mood.
Vitamin Shot
In the UK, we can’t make enough vitamin D from sunlight alone between October and March, which is why taking a daily supplement is often recommended. The NHS advises taking 10 micrograms a day during autumn and winter.
Vitamin D helps keep our bones, teeth and muscles healthy, with a deficiency potentially causing bone pain and muscle weakness. With sunlight in short supply over winter, it’s a simple daily habit worth keeping in your routine – even if it’s not a magic fix for winter blues.