Accepting The Winter Blues
With the days growing darker, the weather becoming colder, many people get depressed in winter, or suffer from "the winter blues". The medical name for this winter depression is seasonal affective disorder, aka SAD (yes, sad indeed).
It is hard to accept the winter blues when we are dreaming of sunshine, summer and blue skies. Scientifically, Winter blues occur due to the reduced level of sunlight in autumn and winter. This decrease in sunlight may disrupt your body's internal clock and lead to feelings of depression. In addition, a drop in serotonin, a brain chemical that affects mood, might play a role in us feeling a bit bleak.
Winter can feel bleak and blue, but there are many ways you can brighten up your mood, accept the winter blues and help fight the lethargy we all might be feeling. At Peace & Pure we are passionate about your emotional wellbeing, and we'd love to share few ideas we find helpful to combat the winter blues:
Exercise: The quickest way of beating the blues is to keep yourself staying active, even when it’s dark and cold. We know it's easier said than done when you want to spend your days tucked up by the fire, under a blanket and in the 4 walls of your own home. But Research has shown that even a 15-minute walk in the middle of the day is enough to release dopamine, making you feel a little brighter. So next time you are stuck at your office desk, head out on your lunch break and enjoy a cool brisk walk.
Take up a New Hobby: As well as keeping your body active with exercise and daily walks outside. Keeping your mind active with a new interest seems to ward off symptoms of the winter blues. Spending time doing anything, from jigsaws, singing, knitting, reading, or keeping a journal. You can download Peace & Pure's very own self-care journal here for free to kickstart your journaling journey.
Meditation: Research states that meditation can lead to increased activity in the left part of the brain associated with happiness, and decreased activity in brain regions linked to stress. At Peace and Pure, we love meditation as it helps us focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress.
Eat Nutritionally: Refined carbohydrates such as pizza and garlic bread do give you short-term pleasure and we agree are an enjoyable Saturday Night treat in front of the television. However they will make you feel more lazy over the winter months. Complex carbohydrates, greens like broccoli, spinach, courgettes take longer to digest, and won’t play with your mood either.
Rest and Recuperate: Make sure to accept that some days in the winter you may feeling like to do nothing all day, and that is ok. We recommend a warm bubble bath, a cup of tea or committing to your daily skincare rituals. Our Timeless Elixir Facial Serum is intentionally formulated to create a relaxing spa experience at home every day, and the divine scent lifts your spirit and calms your senses. A Perfect addition to fight any winter blues. Learn more and shop here.