Time in the mountains won’t cure any ailment, but it can do a lot. Here Alex Roddie shares some of his tips for staying healthy and happy –especially over the winter months
1 SEEK WINTER SUNSHINE
As I write this, it’s late November. It’s cold. It’s raining. It barely gets light.
You’ve got to seek the winter sunshine –and this becomes all the more important if you live far from the mountains. For most Lincolnshire. This has meant long journeys to get to the hills. How have I coped? By getting out in the sunshine in winter.
Winter walks in the woods are light of winter (which can be extraordinarily beautiful) is the key for me. It doesn’t matter if it won’t stop raining for more than ten minutes until April; that short burst of magic light can compensate for alot.
2 GO OUT HIKING WITH FRIENDS
Some of the greatest experiences of my life have been when on my own in the mountains. But Iknow what I’m like. As an introvert, my natural inclination is to head out alone on every trip, and –for me at least –that isn’t arecipe for happiness.
Like many people, the pandemic forced me to confront what I really wanted out of life. When things started opening up again Imade aconscious decision to plan more social adventures. So 2022 and 2023 have included countless trips with friends and the balance that works for you.
Mountain friendships can be the most precious and intense of our lives. We share more openly and honestly, we are better versions of ourselves, and we see our friends at their best too. Making time for other people in your mountain adventures will improve your life –I promise. Photo credit: © Alex Roddie
3 USE SOCIAL MEDIA MINDFULLY
Social media is great, but it can have serious negative consequences. People present the most attractive versions of their lives on Instagram. It’s a very shiny tip of a very mundane iceberg. FOMO, doomscrolling, comparison with others; at its worst, social media can make you feel like everyone else is out there enjoying life whilst you’re stuck inside looking out at the rain. Or, worse, you’re at work and your next free weekend feels like it’ll be in 2026. Seriously though, social media can contribute to depression, anxiety and other mental health problems.
I try to use social media mindfully, especially in autumn and winter when I know I can be more vulnerable to its negative effects. I’ll limit my exposure and take breaks. I’ll try to use it to communicate with the people I genuinely know and care about in the real world. And I’ll make sure that I’m chatting with them away from the bright lights of Instagram, too, because that’s where you’ll find out what they really feel, how they’re really doing, and if they could do with a bit of s
