Keeping well as the winter draws in
If, like me, you love the summer months and being outside, you may find the transition to the dark, damp months difficult. I am not a doctor, mental health practitioner, nutritionist or any other health expert. I am solely sharing some tips that have helped me create a better day-to-day, particularly at this time of year.
Try dry body brushing in the morning before your shower to stimulate circulation. It really gives me a boost first thing in the morning.
Buy a one litre reusable bottle for water and take sips on your commute so you’re not “rehydrating” with coffee at your desk!
Try to walk for even ten minutes in the morning. The morning light is really helpful for your circadian rhythm and will clear your mind before the work day starts. When the weather is dry, I try to get off a few stops before my workplace and walk a few blocks. It really helps to wake me up and boosts my mood.
Take an evening out and do something different to your normal routine – meet a friend for a walk, try a new recipe, go on a date…!
Create a mini home spa by having a bath with Epsom salts and essential oils (my favourites are rosemary for mental clarity and skin healing and eucalyptus for sore joints) and putting on a face mask and/or eye compress. I also love the seaweed baths you try at home. It’s basically dried seaweed in a net that rehydrates once in the bath.
If you have trouble sleeping, try taking soluble magnesium an hour before bedtime. I take the Mag365 supplement and find it helps me to become sleepy at night and promotes a deeper sleep.
Take a Vitamin D supplement.
Plan something nice for yourself in November so that you have something to get you through this transition.
Find a good book and try to reach for that rather than your phone if you feel bored.
If you are feeling low, try this simple gratitude practice called GLAD before bed.
G - what am I Grateful for today?
L - what did I Learn today?
A - what did I Achieve today?
D - what did I Delight in?
No matter how tiny that the thing was, allowing some time to notice something positive from your day will give you a little lift. This practice has helped me through some tough personal times.
I am biased but adding some yoga into your week will benefit your body and mind in ways that may surprise you. When I’m consistent with my practice (which is not as often as I wish), I feel more at ease in my skin, it keeps niggles at bay, I feel calmer and more focused and the knock-on effect is that it encourages me to take better care of myself…and I’ve found that often small changes are the impetus for bigger ones..
I hope you find this helpful.
Stay warm and keep well,
SK xx