We’ve just said goodbye to summer for another year and for many, this is a time of year when we start to feel a bit under the weather. Maybe it is because your next holiday seems light years away or you are not looking forward to the stress of Christmas time. If you want to look after yourself this year, try and pay more attention to your well-being, especially if you feel a bit blue during winter months.
If you are in need of a well-being boost, here are some tips on battling the blues:
Get plenty of exercise – Doing regular exercise is so important in staying positive and happy. Whether you fit a brisk walk into your day or you go to a class after work, it will give you an energy boost when you need it most. Try not to force yourself to do exercise that you really don’t like, instead try to find something that you enjoy. Keeping it sociable will also keep you motivated, so doing exercise with a friend or a group will help.
Take a look at your diet – What you eat and drink has a big impact on how you feel. If you are eating foods that are high in trans fats and sugar, processed foods and refined carbohydrates, these can all make you feel depressed if your diet is filled with them. Try to avoid these and opt for colorful fruit and vegetables instead. Green vegetables are a superfood, so try and get some broccoli, cabbage and brussels sprouts into your daily meals.
Alcohol can also have a very negative impact on your well-being, so try not to drink too much of it, especially if you are feeling low. Often people will have a drink when they are a bit under the weather because they think it will cheer them up. And whilst you may feel a bit happier at the time, the next day and days after it you will be feeling lower because alcohol is a depressant.
Make sure that you are keeping well hydrated by drinking water regularly. As well as making you feel better, it will help your skin stay more vibrant.
Get enough sleep – If you are not getting enough sleep then you will suffer in a number of ways. As well as feeling fatigued, lack of sleep is also linked to major diseases, according to medical scientists. Research is linking sleep loss with Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity as well as poor mental health.
It is recommended that you get at least eight hours sleep each night in order to function at your peak. Lack of sleep also affects how well our brains work, so you might become more sluggish at work and more complacent with health and safety or when driving for example.
Treat yourself – Spoil yourself once in a while with a shopping trip, maybe you could get a new piece of jewelry or some cufflinks from Tateossian or some clothes to give yourself a little boost. Moving into a new season is the perfect excuse to update your wardrobe with a new style and some accessories to match. If you don’t want to spend much money then find other ways to reward yourself, or maybe if you would normally buy a bottle of wine each week, save that money up to buy something at the end of each month.
Your mental health and well-being are really important, so make sure that you take care of yourself, both mentally and physically. After a few weeks or sometimes even days of concentrating on your well-being you will feel all of the great benefits.