Like many, I love summer. It’s a happy time for most with the sunny and warmer weather. It’s not such a chore to go out and see friends, travel to new places and create wonderful memories. When you wake up there is daylight and it remains there long after the school run and even after many get back from work. We get to enjoy warm summer evenings outside with friends outside in gardens and of course, unwind after a long day.
Once the weather changes it becomes much harder to do these things. Cold temperatures and strong winds, sleet and snow have us all running indoors for shelter. Whilst it can feel cosy at first, it’s easy to start getting cabin fever. The short, dark days affect us on a biological level. These horrible grey, cold days make us feel hungry, more tired and generally feeling like we want to hibernate. This can affect our mood, and make us feel miserable during certain months of the year.
Fear not, there are ways you can help to combat this!
Continue with your Healthy Lifestyle
So clearly, if you don’t have a healthy lifestyle now is as good as any to start. It is important not to give up on good habits when autumn and winter set in although it is what we often feel like doing. Cutting down good habits will only make us feel worse and encourage further bad habits. Like many, I’m not keen on going outside for power walks when it’s raining and windy. It’s not a good thing to stop though, think of all those endorphins known as happy hormones that normally fly around the body after a brisk walk. Not something we should give up willingly. You can always do workouts at home in the comfort and privacy of your living room. Alternatively, a no-frills gym or a gym with all the perks might be more to your liking.
Winter has us all reaching for comfort food, but you can still enjoy warming meals without being unhealthy. Get your slow cooker out, make soups, stews, curries and other dishes using lots of vegetables and slow-cooked meat with herbs and spices. Warming, tasty and healthy!
Go For a Drive
Going for a drive can be a great way to get out but not have to worry about the cold. On a nice sunny day, it can be lovely to go for a drive in the countryside. Plan your route or go on an adventure. Take in the lovely scenery we have in the UK as it can be extremely relaxing to be surrounded by nature. Make sure you’ve got your dash cam with you. It makes sense to protect yourself from careless drivers and there are many around. The Nextbase 222 dash cam is a great option. In fact, it has won awards for its image quality. The size of the dash cam is ideal so as not to cause obstruction. This way you’ll catch an accident as it happens and the license plate number if they decide they want to make a quick getaway.
Give Yourself Something to Look Forward To
Luckily we have Christmas mid-winter which can definitely help to break up the cold, bleak weather. It’s a great idea to plan some fun activities to give you something to look forward to. A festive theme works especially well. Consider going ice skating or going to see a pantomime (we’re booked in to see one and can’t wait). You could even look at local places offering Christmas crafts like wreath making or Christmas baking.
If you’re not a big fan of festivities you could always plan to do something else. You could book an afternoon tea, west end tickets to see something you’ve been meaning to but haven’t had the time or a mini-break to somewhere nice. Giving yourself something to look forward to can be really beneficial to your mental health at a time of year than many of us can struggle.
Practice Hygge at Home
Finally, practicing hygge at home involves relaxation and being ‘in the moment.’ Run a hot bath, meditate, ask your partner for a massage or practice self-massage on your feet, legs, hands, and arms with some lovely scented oil blends. Light beautifully fragranced candles, play soft music. It’s amazing how much this can help you to unwind and enjoy your home and surroundings.
How do you Stay Happy Over the Colder Months?
Enjoyed this post?
Subscribe to Melanie’s Fab Finds to have posts delivered straight to your inbox. Emails will include recipes, reviews etc. and as a result, you will hear about my competitions first! Don’t worry I won’t spam you.
https://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=MelaniesFabFinds&loc=en_US
Watch our product reviews on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7N9LSm6HlbeVfliBZZRRBg
Discover more from Melanie's Fab Finds
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I am actually attempting to make my own wreath to keep me excited and occupied in the lead up! Its a lot of fun and lets me get creative. My sister made one for me last year and it was amazing so I have a high standard to beat! I think its a good idea to keep yourself occupied with fun things in the colder months
Happyness to me is warmth, so blankets are a must and always come out and I often treat myself to Hot Chocolate. We have just had a new starbucks open up round the corner! Perrrrfeccct!
Great advice. I like going swimming in the winter months (though not outdoors – I’m not that brave!).
I hate the cold months but I do enjoy practising Hygge and also like having something to look forward to like flights abroad.
These are some great ways to stay happy over the colder months. I will definitely be practicing hygge at home.
It’s good to have ideas of how to elevate your mood.
Some fab tips. I always try to give myself something to look forward to, it makes the winter months more bearable.
Tell me about it. It can get so cold and the grey rainy and windy days are awful.
I also hygge out my house for winter. Loads of warm blankets and candles are everywhere. To cheer myself up I drink a lot of hot chocolate and snuggle up in bed and read loads
Giving yourself something to look forward to is ALWAYS a must! For me, its a holiday in the sunshine! xxx
That is a great thing to look forward too. Who doesn’t love a sunny holiday away x
I don’t have too much worry staying happy over the winter months but I think making sure you still see people and don’t just stay indoors on your own is important x
I’m naturally happier in the colder months because it’s my favourite time of year but I have friends who really struggle with it. Especially when it’s dark when you leave for work and dark when you get home! These are great tips to combat that.
Thanks Jennifer. It affects a surprisingly large number of people.
I hear you on this one. I think having a healthy lifestyle as possible is key to making sure you are in good health xx
I hate the colder darker evenings so really need some advise on how to embrace it just like I embrace summer . This is a great post .
Hi Nayna. You are not alone. So many are affected by the darker days over the winter.
Totally agree having a healthy lifestyle really helps feel good inside!
It sure does Ani 🙂
Something to look forward to is a great idea. I love getting all cosy with blankets I’m the lounge and candles on too
Getting cosy on the sofa with candles is always nice in the winter.
It’s a big struggle for me as I have depression and other related mental health issues. I have learnt how to manage them more than they manage me however it is still tough.
Winter time and darker days and nights make it harder. I do suffer from SAD which I think we all do to some small degree or bigger. Our 2nd son suffers from it extremely
I focus more on self care in the winter ensuring I have regular treats and pampering too. I also use a SAD lamp too
Some good suggestions there. The title of the post caught my eye as I always struggle in Winter. Having something to look forward to is helpful. Once the shortest day is out of the way, I start looking out for early flowers such as snowdrops and crocuses as evidence that Spring is just around the corner.
Some lovely tips here, it’s hard to stay happy and positive as it gets colder and darker outside. I’m definitely a fan of nice hot baths and scented candles!
I find comfort in a nice brisk walk along the seafront – wrapped up warm of course
That sounds great. I do love a brisk walk in the morning.
I brought a seasonal depression light and use a weighted blanket it helps a tonne