Beating the Winter blues

I claim to be an Autumn girl through and through, right up until Autumn hits us and I remember that, rather than being a season filled with layering various sweaters, flavoured lattes and cookie baking, Autumn and Winter in England is simply depressing grey skies, unhappy people and unnatural temperatures. My days are already filled with 24 hour colds, broken umbrellas and ‘I have nothing to wear – it’s not hot and it’s not snowing!’

Now that Winter is well and truly upon us, I’m stuck in a troublesome debate with myself regarding whether to cheerfully make my way through these chilly months and enjoy what this Winter has to offer me, or to simply hibernate.
While the latter seems to be an incredibly tempting proposal, I feel forced to abandon my duvet during the daylight hours and make at least a little effort to beat the winter blues. I’ve made myself a mental list of promises to remind myself of until temperatures are reasonable once again.

To exercise more

Because we get lazy in the winter. It’s much too easy to fall into a funk of winter comfort food and ‘it’s too cold to exercise!’ – Even if my exercise consists of a brief uphill walk with astonishingly quick puppies and a few sit-ups during writing breaks, I feel better if I’m moving. As tempting as it may be to curl up on the sofa with an oversized bar of chocolate, resist doing it every day. Allow yourself treats-a-plenty, of course, but get off your backside for a little while every day and get some fruit and veg down you, alongside those muffins. While exercise and healthy eating is beneficial all year round, in Winter especially we need to keep up those energy levels and keep the bad moods and lack of concentration at bay.

To let the light in

It’s miserable and gloomy outside, so it’s tempting to keep the curtains closed and remain in the dark until you absolutely have the face the outside world. Staying in the dark only keeps us sleepy and we’re more likely to remain lazy throughout the day, so pull back those curtains and let the minimal light that England has to offer in. Over the colder months I’m trying to get as much daylight as possible – Vitamin D will be had!

To keep what’s underneath all those layers looking good

Hands up who’s gone several weeks without shaving their legs before? It’s not like anybody’s going to see them. But on top of that, we’re slacking on the exfoliating, it’s much too cold for a dry brush and we’re just not feeling the facepacks. Come Christmas we’re feeling rather sluggish. Underneath all of those gorgeous jumpers and knitted cardigans we’ve let ourselves go for the season. This year I am treating my body as I do during the Summer. Thou shalt pamper oneself and thou shan’t forget those silky pins.

To make use of the seasons

Opt for takeouts and rented movies rather than dinner out and a trip to the cinema. Spend evenings pampering yourself in a warm bathroom. Take up a new hobby that doesn’t involve leaving the house…or getting dressed. In contrast, go ice-skating, make snowmen, take a Winter weekend away in a cosy cottage. Whether you go in or stay out, take advantage of the Winter just as you would the Summer.

To keep some colour in my daily life

While the blue skies and green grass have gone on vacation, I’ve started to miss bright colours being handed to me on a plate. I’ve been upping the use of colour in a wardrobe where black is considerably favourited, filling my home with bright flowers and keeping even the smallest details colourful.

How do you beat the Winter blues?