Discover our Health & Wellbeing team’s top tips to thrive during winter! Download our free weekly checklist to stay on track throughout the cooler season.
Health & Wellbeing team’s top tips to thrive during winter
Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Discover simple yet effective strategies to relax, reflect and reset your way to a healthier, happier season.
As the winter chill sets in, it’s the perfect time to nurture your body and soul. This guide will help you build warm, joyous and resilient winter habits!
The shifting seasons offer a unique opportunity to slow down and prioritise wellbeing, making it an ideal time to hone healthy habits. In this article, we delve into practical tips for maintaining cosy warmth, beating the seasonal blues, reflecting on cherished memories and boosting your immune system.
Whether you’re looking to enhance your physical health, uplift your mood or enrich your personal life, these strategies are designed to help you embrace winter with vitality and positivity.
Relax
Stay cosy and warm
Staying warm in winter is crucial for both comfort and health. Effective body temperature management improves circulation, mood, mobility, sleep and immunity. Stay cosy with:
- Layered clothing: Several layers retain heat better than one thick layer
- Movement: Stay active throughout your day; aim to get up every hour
- Curtains: Significantly reduce heat loss
- Warming drinks: Herbal tea and broths
- Hot water bottles: To keep warm in bed and around the home
Beat the blues
As the cooler months descend, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) doesn’t have to! Relax into a happy winter with these evidence-based tips:
- Uplifting music: To create a positive atmosphere
- Stay connected: Reach out to loved ones and engage in community activities
- Sunlight and bright indoor light from morning to mid-afternoon boosts serotonin
- Exercise: Indoor movement to supercharge endorphins and blood flow
- Hobbies: Puzzles, crafts, family trees, etc.
- Rest to recharge during the lower-energy winter months
Reflect
Reflect on memories and experiences
Winter provides a serene environment to slow down and reflect on your thoughts, feelings and cherished memories. Some practices include:
- Scrapbooking: A joyful way to reminisce on memories while being creating
- Browse photo albums: Relish happy memories and add notes for deeper reflection
- Journal: Untangle and express emotions while fostering gratitude
Reflect with nourishing nostalgic food
Recall some of your favourite food memories by pulling out old recipes and setting some time aside to recreate nourishing meals. While doing so, reminisce on the feelings and memories that these dishes incite.
Winter is also a wonderful time to embrace warming and easily digestible foods, such as:
- Soups and broths
- Casseroles
- Roast meat and vegetables
- Risotto and noodles
- Stew and curry
- Pies and bakes
Reset
Reset your winter immunity
The onset of the cooler season doesn’t have to trigger a perfect storm of winter bugs. In addition to the tips discussed (which also support immune function), many factors reduce winter illness risk:
- Limit sugar and alcohol, which dampen immunity
- Add immune-boosting garlic to meals
- Prioritise sleep for immune regulation
- Enjoy immune-boosting echinacea, ginger and turmeric teas
- Hygiene: Wash hands, avoid contact with sick individuals and ensure regular checkups
Reset pain
The cold weather can lead to stiff muscles and joints, which may manifest as aches and pains.
To help combat this:
- Eat well: Choose nutritious ingredients and limit processed foods/sugar to manage weight and ease joint load
- Keep warm: Revisit earlier tips to enhance blood flow to joints
- Stretching and massage: To alleviate tightness
- Seek professional support: Consult a physiotherapist or osteopath for tailored treatment
💡Top tip: Take a moment to write a list of the practices you wish to adopt this winter to truly relax, reflect and reset!
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