Are the cold, dark months starting to bring you down? Why not try our A to Z of tips and tricks to help beat those winter blues?
WORDS: MICHELE O’CONNOR IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK
AROMATHERAPY
When inhaled, the scent molecules in essential oils travel from the olfactory nerves directly to the brain and especially impact the emotional centre. “Lavender candles and diffusers are great for relaxation and sleep,” psychotherapist Lucy Johnson (tapi.co.uk) says. “Sandalwood helps relieve anxiety, while lemon is the perfect mood lifter.”
BINAURAL BEATS
“This is an auditory illusion when you listen to two tones with slightly different frequencies at the same time,” Jasmine Eskenzi of the Zensory app says. Your brain activity matches the beat frequency and can change to allow you to feel more creative, alert and productive.
AIR
Allowing fresh air into stuffy, stagnant rooms is crucial for overall wellbeing. Just throwing open your windows for a few minutes will help.
c CONNECTResist the urge to “hibernate”, Lisa Gunn, mental health prevention lead at Nuffield Health (nuffieldhealth.com) says. Social connections are vital for our wellbeing. And face-to-face contact benefits our mental health in a way that online communication can’t.
BOYCOTT BOTOX!
Psychologists at the University of Cardiff discovered that those who froze their “crow’s feet” experience a lower mood than those whose muscles allow them to smile.
DAYLIGHT
Natural light helps with symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Lucy says. A lack of sunlight can cause your brain to produce too much melatonin (the sleep hormone) and less serotonin (feel-good brain chemical), directly affecting mood. Eat your breakfast and work in the brightest room in your home, ensuring you position yourself so that you’re getting maximum light. If you’re really struggling with SAD, consider investing in a light box.
COLOUR
Ditch winter blacks and greys, Lucy says. “Blue can have a relaxing effect on our mood; greens remind us of nature and calms us, whilst warm yellow is associated with sunshine.”
CHANGE YOUR SHEETS
Sleeping in a freshly-made bed topped a recent Bupa survey of 50 things that make us feel happy.
f FIND YOUR FLOWThis occurs while concentrating entirely on doing something you enjoy, so that you lose all sense of self and time. According to e
