Has Your Mood Dipped & You’re Picking Up Minor Health Niggles? / 5 Solutions for SADs (Winter Blues)

All of us are affected to some degree by Seasonal Affective Disorder or the “Winter Blues”- a lowering in mood which can also lead to physical symptoms. Here are 5 top tips to boost our fight against the symptoms of SADs.

• Exercise
  The single most effective way to trigger the endorphins which will lift mood is to take more exercise ideally 20 minutes daily of something that leaves us out of breath with a raised heart-rate.
• Fresh Air
  Once cold weather starts it’s no longer appealing to spend time out of doors, but sunlight creates Vitamin D in our bodies which in turn affects brain chemistry. Even a weak winter sun contains enough UV light to make this change, so it’s worth wrapping up and getting out at lunchtimes and weekends
• Water
  Winter tends to make us turn to hot drinks, often caffeinated, but it’s vital for mood and to beat lethargy to keep hydrated. We should be drinking 2 litres of water a day – that’s 6 standard ½ pint glasses. If you’re not keen on plain water low sugar fruit squashes or fruit/herbal tea will disguise it,but the liquid in standard tea, coffee or fizzy drinks doesn’t count as they take more water to process than they provide.
• Diet
  Cold makes us turn to carbs and sweet treats but these can make us sluggish and after an initial high, mood plummets. Fruit and veg especially citrus fruits are better for us- they don’t call it zest for nothing!
• Socializing
  Street café culture keeps us out and mixing in the summer, but it can be tempting to hibernate in winter. Apart from the fact that getting out and about delivers the previous listed boosts, happiness is infectious and we’re more likely to find our mood lifts in company.Zen Ten Spa delivers the “Clearsight Coaching” programme which uses psychotherapeutic counselling techniques on a variety of mental wellbeing issues both face to face and by phone. Book in on 07709101010