Do the winter months affect your mood? How about the darker days, do they make you feel blue and tired? It’s not uncommon for many of us to feel tired, fed up and even depressed throughout the colder days. So we’ve come up with a few tips on how to get through the next few months.
Get out and about
Did you know that a deficit in vitamin D can make you 11 times more prone to get depression?
The mornings are pretty dark and chilly and it could be so easy not to go out but instead to wrap yourself up and have a PJ day. Lack of light is also responsible for a lower production of serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is responsible for various factors in our body and central nervous system, such as our mood, anxiety, and happiness. So if the sun is out, get yourself out. It’s important to catch some sunlight, even if it’s for just 10 minutes.
Socialising
Do you know anyone that isolates themselves in the winter? It’s become so easy now not to pick up the phone as social media has taken over. These days we ask each other how we are feeling, and we do that through text on messenger or WhatsApp, and we answer with an emoji! If you know someone who’s feeling low or blue arrange to meet up with them for a coffee or ask them to join a social activity with you.
Physical Activity
Why is it important to make physical activity part of your everyday life? Studies have shown that moderate physical
activity, even as little as 15 minutes 3 times a week can be effective in the prevention and treatment of depression. But quite often we don’t know where to start, however starting with some small changes could make a big difference in how you cope with the winter blues. Get with a friend and chat about it over a coffee, talk about what you’d like to achieve and together write down some small short term goals.
Don’t feel you have to fit into a generic exercise program you could just start with simple things like taking a short walk on a weekend, parking further away from work or talking the stairs and not the lift. You could always tailor something that suits you and your schedule and it doesn’t have to involve working out for hours at the gym. Exercising with a friendly social group could be a way of getting started. We have lots of class members that started with us and had never exercised before.
Brighten up your colours
What colours do you wear? Have you ever wondered if wearing a brighter colour could lift your mood? 
The answer is yes! Let’s look at our bright lime green FLexercise Tee’s. We often hear comments on how great class members feel when they are wearing one! Maybe they feel great wearing it because green is so heavily associated with nature, it is often described as a refreshing and tranquil color. Green is often used in decorating for its calming effect. For example, guests waiting to appear on television programs often wait in a “green room” to relax. Have a look at this link which explains how colours can boost your mood
Post-Christmas Blues
Once the party season is over it often leaves us feeling fed up and blue for the rest of the winter, so the key is to plan something in now ready for January. Maybe plan a night in with friends or a day at a Spa. Whatever you plan make sure it’s something that you’ll look forward to doing. Our FLexercise classes start back around January 6th and everyone is ready to get moving! So if you’re looking for something fun and social have a look around our website. Most of our classes are set right in the heart of the community.
If you’d like to find out more, just click here – FLexercise