Ways to Boost Your Mental Health during Winter
The winter months can be particularly tough on us both physically and mentally. It is coupled with darkness coming earlier, often brings feelings of depression and sadness with it. But you don’t have to let this time of year get you down! In fact, there are ways to turn the winter frowns upside down.
Winter Self-Care Ideas
Enjoy Winter Nature’s Beauty
Winter can be cold and dreary. But it can also be beautiful. Fresh snow on the trees, icicles hanging from the roof, red cardinals at your birdfeeder, a full moon are all amazing scenes you may fall in love with. When we’re mindful and take the time to look, there’s a lot to take pleasure in.
Decorate your home
Go for textures with seasonal colours and accessories that reflect the season we’re in and if you love dressing your home up with Christmas and New Year decorations, then go for it!
Stay Connected
If you are more isolated during the winter than in the warmer months, you can try to find other ways to connect with your loved ones. Plan time to video chat or make phone calls. Feeling connected to your support system is very important in maintaining your overall well-being.
Explore New Activities
Try to step outside of your comfort zone and experience and push yourself beyond the typical activities that you have done before. You never know when you may discover a new hobby or passion.
Meditate
Meditation forces you to sit down, close your eyes, and take the moment to recognize that what you’re feeling is normal and okay. It gives you a chance to relax your mind and take note of exactly what it is that’s causing you to feel this way. When you accept this feeling, you can grab a hold of it, assess what you can do about it, and move past it and forward with an actionable plan.
Set Small Goals
From learning new skills and getting more followers to earn more money, setting clear goals is the key to seeing your dreams come to life. However, it’s easy to set goals that are so big that they end up just being overwhelming.
Eat healthily
A healthy diet will boost your mood, give you more energy and stop you putting on weight over winter. Balance your craving for carbohydrates, such as pasta and potatoes, with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Go to Therapy
Talking treatments such as psychotherapy or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help you cope with symptoms. Set a time to talk with Dr. Carla to help you maintain a healthy life routine during winter days!
