How to beat the blues this winter

Some simple ways to boost your mood as the nights draw in and the temperature drops

Winter can affect people mentally ( Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

As the mornings become darker and leaving the warmth of your bed becomes more challenging, it is not wonder that many of us dread the winter months.

For some the feeling manifests itself as a niggling longing for the summer months, while others experience depressive episodes which are diagnosed as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

However, it is possible to battle the so-called “Winter blues” with some relatively easy steps.

Stay warm

(masatoshi_/Creative Commons)

Keeping warm can reduce psychological distress – including depressive symptoms - by half, according to the NHS. Make sure you keep warm by consuming hot drinks, eating warm food, and ensuring that the temperature in your home stays between 18C to 21C.

Eat well

Eating healthily doesn’t mean restricting yourself to cold salads, as warm, comforting food – such as balanced soups, stews and curries - can also help you stay mentally and physically healthy.

Maintaining a healthy diet will boost your mood, increase your energy levels and help you from putting on weight.

Some people with SAD experience excessive carbohydrate cravings during winter. Quell these by eating fresh fruit and vegetables which take longer to digest, and will stave off hunger.

Use lights to your advantage

The reduced level of daylight is part of the reason people feel mentally unwell during the winter. Some find light boxes – which omit rays at least 10 times stronger than ordinary lighting – help to improve their mood. Others wake up using an alarm clock which simulates the sunrise to ease you into the day.

Keeping your work and home environments filled with light and sitting by the window when possible can also help.

Adopt a "Norweigian attitude"

A man navigates the snow in Oslo, Norway (Sara Johannessen/AFP/Getty Images)

While mental health is something which is not easy to simply control and “fix”, shifting your attitude towards winter could help you feel more positive.

Kari Leibowitz, a PhD student at Stanford University, recently conducted a study in Norway to understand why the country has relatively low rates of seasonal depression despite the fact that the sun doesn’t rise past the horizon from November to late January.

She found that Norwegians generally view winter positively, and celebrate the certain aspects of the season.

"There’s a saying that there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing," she told The Fast Company website.

"It doesn’t have to be this huge complicated thing. You can just consciously try to have a positive wintertime mindset and that might be enough to induce it."

Keep moving

Try walking for an hour in the middle of the day. Venturing outdoors in the chilly weather may not seem appealing, but it could be as effective as light therapy, according to the NHS. While exercising indoors won’t be expose you to sunlight, you will still benefit from a release endorphins which make you feel happy, and block feelings of pain.

Stay social

Being isolated and lonely can affect a person’s physical health and make them prone to depression, according to the Campaign to End Loneliness. Staying social despite the nights drawing in can help to improve your mood.

Visit your doctor

The findings are likely to cast doubts on the government's pledge to add 5,000 new family doctors to the NHS by 2020 (Carl Court/Getty Images)

If your symptoms become debilitating, visit a doctor and seek medical help.

SAD can be treated with simple suggestions like those listed above, or psychosocial and cognitive behavioural treatments.